In a Jazzy Mood

I am a big smooth jazz fan. Smooth jazz helps to set the mood for those times I am writing or thinking about what I should be writing. It seems like my fingers hit fewer wrong keys when the music is smooth and my thoughts come more easily. It is sort of like singing in the shower where our voices sound much better; smooth jazz makes me THINK I am more profound than perhaps I really am!

So blame it on the music when you don’t agree with my posts. Maybe I should have been listening to George Howard instead of Howard Beasley or maybe Marion Meadows would have been better. But I think in the final analysis, the gist of my thoughts would not have changed much regardless of who is playing in the background.

Music inspires me to try and capture the emotions behind our singleness. It is one thing to encounter events in our lives, but what adds texture to our perceptions of those events is our feelings. If you are watching tv alone on a Friday night; what is the emotion that is sharing the sofa with you? If you are anticipating having a first kiss with someone special soon; what tingles of emotions are you experiencing? For me, smooth jazz helps me to hone in on those sentiments.

Emotions are important because they form the basis behind our behaviors. Under the spell of anger, our actions differ significantly than when the emotion is joy. The better we can anticipate and even control our emotions, the more we can mold our actions to our spiritual principles. On the other hand, when we let our emotions run the show, we are vulnerable to being more violent, more hurtful, more destructive and more selfish in our interactions with other.

For me, smooth jazz allows me to experience the emotions similar to the way a scientist observes nature but does not alter the scene. I can experience sadness without “behaving” sadly. I can experience anger without becoming destructive. I can feel the joy of being in love without losing myself in daydreams. It is amazing what smooth jazz can do.

Sometimes my posts are upbeat and sometimes they are not. That is very similar to the smooth jazz I listen to. Depending on the music or the mood it stirs; I can feel like dancing or I can just desire to sit and think. But the thoughts that arise from either mood reflect another aspect of our singleness journey. That’s the beauty of being in a jazzy mood.