Diary: January 6 Agree to Disagree
The sun spills in my office window through empty tree branches. My neighbourhood has changed considerably in the last two years. The guy who owns the music store, suspectly named “The World’s Coolest Music Store” moved to a bigger house on the same street. Darcy, the chain-smoking, bath robe-wearing star of stage and screen had her house sold on her so she and her cat Harley had to move out to BC. Marj and Don, elderly neighbours who took it upon themselves to invade my backyard and prune a bunch of stuff, moved I don’t know where. And my favourite neighbours, Don and Kathy - Kathy a cancer survivor - have sold their house and are downsizing. Every day there is a new item out on the curb that they are hoping someone will collect. Yesterday it was a vacuum cleaner.
I should be in NY now. The Sound and Vision Bowie shows start tomorrow and run through till the 9th. Being a single mom (my partner still doesn’t live with me) means that it’s really up to me to make sure I’m there for my kids. The thought of somehow being stranded in NYC, getting sick or not being able to find a test had me bow out of the shows. Mark was understanding but disappointed. I was going to sing Starman. Heck, I wonder if I should record my version of it and put it up here for you guys.
We are in a lockdown again here. I suppose we knew it could happen but didn’t really believe it would. The remote learning is in full swing here but I’ve opted for MY own mental health to remove all pressure around it and remind myself that my kids are smart, they’re in Grades 4 and 6, and they’ll be ok if they don’t do it right. I actually asked for them to be exempt from these Google Meets so they can just do the work on their own. The surprising part of it is, in letting us all off of this mom-guilt pressure cooker, they are just wandering on to participate more than ever. Kids amaze me. They just roll with it.
The opinions are flying like crazy here. Probably where you are too. I decide most of the time to ignore it - just like I ignore small town gossip. I suppose people feel the need to chime in as they feel it might change something, but I don’t really feel that that’s where true change happens. It certainly can’t happen when we are drained, focused on negativity and angry. It’s so much like singing. The best voice comes out when we surrender, when we relax.
I also keep bringing to mind that “view from space” that I adopted from Chris Hadfield. From the ISS, he was able to see the world as one place. And I think it’s worth zooming out this way when it comes to time as well. We happen to be on earth during a life-changing event. We can choose to let it control us, or we can trust and know that time will pass, and that our reality will be different in 1 yr, 2 yrs, 5 years. It seems to me that kindness, patience and compassion are the only ways to endure these changes.
One of my son’s best friend’s is from a family of anti-vaccination folks. They are also deeply religious. My son has listened to his friend on multiple occasions, even bought a bible to dive in and see what his pal is talking about, but at the end of the day, they agree to disagree. They laugh, they enjoy each other’s company (outside :)) and it’s a wonderful lesson to me, to all of us, that when we can set aside our differences in ideology, and connect, that’s where the change can happen.
I got some news yesterday that I so wish I could share with you. But I can give hints!! One of artists I covered on Girl Versions is doing a record with an orchestra. Instead of doing their version of the song and adding strings, they have asked to use mine! And asked me to sing on it! Hmmmmmmmmm. I wonder who you will guess?!
My cat has now decided to attack my tobogganing socks that my stepson-to-be got me for Christmas. That feels wonderful to type. Not the attacking part.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Nashville recording in February. I know that just one illness or brush with it and things will have to change. I’m trying to stay focused on the music, and soon I’ll launch the Kickstarter that will hopefully be a fun place for you to follow the making of this exciting album. The one thing I’ve been doing that has absolutely lit me up was start to take some vocal lessons with Catherine Russell. She’s an amazing singer and has recently been on tour with Steely Dan. She also sang with Bowie after Holly and I left. We talk about style, ways of opening up and what I learned from her at my last lesson is that I need to enunciate more - because people deserve to hear the words. She also gave me some tips for relaxing the jaw and during our next lesson on Monday I get to ask her about “The Chance” - which is my song I have decided will be my duet with Michael McDonald (see rare songs!!). Since she sang with him, I can’t wait to ask her a few stylistic things I can do (but still stay me) to manifest this dream even further.
Love you all. Please let me know in comments how you are.
