25 Songs, 25 Days - Day 22: A Song That Someone Has Sung To You

 I don't have a song for this day. Nobody has ever sung a song to me or for me. I have sang songs to other people, such as my husband and various friends, but have never had a song sung to me. My husband is very shy about his singing voice and my friends don't really sing songs to me, sometimes with me in the past, but never to me or for me. I'm sure my parents did when I was a baby, whether it be a lullaby or simple humming, but I don't remember. I remember doing patty-cake and other rhymes with my mom or my grandma, which is probably the closest I ever got to having someone sing to me. Oh well. 

25 Songs, 25 Days - Day 21: Your Favorite Song

 

For this entry I chose my all-time favorite song, instead of my current favorite song, Every New Day by Five Iron Frenzy. I have loved this song since I first heard it over 26 years ago. It really has beautiful lyrics and a fun melody. There is even a quote from William Blake's poem "The Tiger" (when the stars threw down their spears/watered heaven with their tears). I later listened to the album as a whole, and a lot of the songs became my most wore out cd when I was in high school. The cd ended up skipping I played it so much and I had to replace 6 years later, except this turned into one of the hardest to find cds. The band broke up in 2003 and cds became rare and expensive. 

This song came out at the height of ska music's popularity with bands such as Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. I was immediately drawn more to this band's music as well as their lyrics, this one being no exception. It talks out how to deal with daily struggles but still have a strong faith-based system. 

25 Songs, 25 Days - Day 20: The Last Song Alphabetically in Your Ipod Itunes

The last song in my iTunes library alphabetically is titled Zumba by Don Omar. This song came out 10 years ago in 2013, right about the time that Zumba released some video games for in home practice. I had one titled Zumba Fitness for the Playstation 3 that I absolutely loved and would play/dance to daily. It was such a great workout without having to go to the gym. This is one of the songs that was featured on that video game. This style of workout/dancing was a great way to stay fit and have fun while learning the routines. I eventually ended up joining a gym to do Zumba and learned more complex routines, but that video game was where it all started. 

This song was one that I got on a cd that I rented from the library, which had a couple other songs that I really liked including El Tiburon by Henry Mendez and Limbo by Daddy Yankee. Recently I was driving somewhere in my car with my husband and my mom. One of the songs from this album came on (they are all Latino songs) and she said, "Do you like that Spanish music? I suppose you can understand what they are saying." I told her that I got the gist of it, as I took a lot of Spanish classes and have started relearning Spanish via Duolingo, but even before that I remember loving Pete Cetera as a kid, listening to both the English and Spanish version of songs. I usually have a hard time understanding English singers, and so I naturally enjoy music, even if I don't understand the lyrics all the time. There have been a few times I've been surprised by what is being sung, but for the most part Latino and reggaeton music has uplifting lyrics with a positive message.

 

 

25 Songs, 25 Days - Day 19: The First Song Alphabetically in Your Ipod Itunes

 The first song on my iPhone library is According to You by Orianthi. I recently got into this song after seeing a TikTok trend in which the person would have a picture of someone that didn't respect them or wasn't nice to them growing up during the verses, and then during the chorus would be a picture of someone that loved them for who they are. As I listened closer to the lyrics, I realized that the song has a deeper meaning than just finding your soul mate. It can also mean having a parent that respects you and doesn't mistreat you or put you down. It can also mean finding friends that are there for you and aren't judgemental. 

I didn't really like this song when it first came out, but it has definitely found a new place in my playlist. It sounded like every other breakup/rebound song on the surface, with a jaded lover finding someone who loves her. I now think of it more as a song about trying to surround myself with people who accept me for who I am and not compromising my personality or values to maintain friendships. We all can think of one person, whether friend or family, that has made us feel like dirt or undervalued in our life, and when you think of that person while listening to this song, it really makes the verses stick out and you realize you are worth more than people make you think. I heard all the time growing up that I was too quiet, too shy, and people took that for me being rude or mean, because I didn't talk very much. I now surround myself with people that are ok with someone that is super shy or is quiet in a group of friends. Below is a line from this song that sum up how I feel after listening to it:

I need to feel appreciated, loved not hated, oh no!

Time Flies (Five Years Later)

"Time keeps on tickin, into the future"

It has been way too long since I've blogged on here. I'm sort of disappointed that I didn't even finish the 25 day song challenge, but I guess I will continue with that later this year. I've recently found some old diaries from when I was ten years old, and found it so interesting to read about my life back then. I even found it fascinating to read some of these entries from five years ago. Since this is my last year in my thirties, I figured I should get back on this blog and post some more. Once again, I love lists, so here goes my list of things that have changed in the last five years:

New puppy Roxie the Doxie!

• Went through six (yes six) different jobs in the last five years
• Got in a car accident that resulted in a severe concussion
• Car was totaled in accident, got a new car (truck)
• Cat that we got in 2018 developed cancer and had to be put down in March of 2020
• COVID pandemic (need I say more) (I actually did keep a journal of this which I might eventually upload in the future)
• Adopted a puppy
• Lost even more friends for unknown reasons

It has been an absolute whirlwind of a life lately, especially with the pandemic changing how I work. Ever since April 2020 I have had to wear a mask on my face while I work. Some facilities don't wear masks anymore, but mind does. I am one of the only people to never have gotten COVID that I know of. My husband even got it at one point, but I somehow avoided it. 

Looking to the future, I am getting really weary of the cold weather every winter, so me and my husband have been looking at moving somewhere a little warmer. It does wear on you mentally and physically. We have also been steadily losing friends for various reasons, which I won't post in here, but it really helped me to step back in life and reexamine who I keep as friends and who is not worth putting in an effort. I've also applied this rule to family, and I have been learning to live a much happier life. 

I keep my mind occupied as much as I can with jigsaw puzzles, especially since the annual puzzle olympics started three years ago. Every year a group of puzzles on Facebook organizes an online event in which players can do puzzles of different piece counts and compete for fun! There are usually raffles, of which I have won every time, but this year they added a winter event! I placed tenth in the event last spring, so I'm excited to see where I place in this event. 

Hopefully I can continue with Day 19 of the 25 Day song challenge.