Monday, January 18, 2021

this is a reminder of what it feels like to be happy

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
January 18, 2021

Things suck right now. The whole country has gone bonkers. It makes me angry to turn on the TV, so much so I don't know if I want to throw something at it, unplug it or what...I just know I needed a break.
I put on the oldies station and there it was. We're not just talking chair dancing song! It was full blown open the windows, crank up the music and dance. It isn't summer here in New Hampshire, so I settled for dancing throughout the house and it felt good!

We all need a break from the pandemic and the chaos in every single state. We need a break from feeling bad, helpless and depressed. Changes are coming but the horrors that brought us to this point were like days from hell.

So, this is a reminder of what it feels like to be happy. A few years ago, Scott Simon was talking about what happened in the hospital one night....
Why 'Dancing In The Street' Gets The People Going?
NPR
Scott Simon

......And then, everyone in line — including the elderly couple in front of me, who I would learn were there because their granddaughter had been clipped by a car, and the teenage barista standing behind the counter — seemed to light up at the same time. We all sang out: "They're dancing in Chicago."

Then we laughed, smiled and began to talk to each other about why we were there, how long it had been, and what we remembered and loved about this song. We were dancing in Chicago.

"Dancing in the Street" is a song that stirs our souls. Great anthems do. But no less than the great Martha Reeves, who gave it such a powerful voice, says it was first and last a dance song.

"The song is about love and feeling free enough to dance in the street," she told me in a conversation recorded for Weekend Edition Saturday. "You don't have to worry about cars hitting you. You don't have to worry about policemen coming and telling you you can't dance in the street."
read the rest here


We have National Guards deployed all over the country, blocking off streets and standing guard over the state houses. Security is on high alert for domestic terrorists in Washington DC because of what happened when the Capitol was attacked because of an election. A raging pandemic and people refusing to wear masks or actually pay attention to the fact there is a raging pandemic. It all sucks! 

But, consider when this song came out it was1964! Protests were happening all over the country against the Vietnam War and yes, a very terrible time, but because of that, we ended up with songs like this.



Calling out around the world
Are you ready for a brand new beat
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancing in the street
They're dancing in Chicago
Down in New Orleans
Up in New York City
All we need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
There'll be swinging swaying records playing
Dancing in the street
Oh it doesn't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on every guy grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
They'll be dancing
They're dancing in the street
It's just an invitation across the nation
A chance for folks to meet
There'll be laughing, singing, music swinging
Dancing in the street
Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore and D.C. now
Can't forget the Motor City
All we need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
There'll be swinging, swaying, records playing
Dancing in the street
Oh it doesn't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on ev'ry guy grab a girl
Ev'rywhere around the world
Dancing
They're dancing in the street
Way down in L.A.
Every day
(Dancing in the street)
Across the ocean blue, me and you
We're dancing in the street
(Dancing in the street)

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Stanley Lebowsky / John Lehmann
Dancing In The Street (Stereo) lyrics © Stone Agate Music, Nmg Music, Mgiii Music, Fcg Music, Jobete Music Co Inc 

And for the rest of us old people who grew up with the original
When things suck, people take action to change it. After all, that is why we have all the treatment available for trauma survivors! Things sucked over 40 years ago, and people decided to make it better for everyone. Research on PTSD started because Vietnam veterans came home and fought for it. They are the reason we ended up with what we have and others who still fight for more research are the reason things will keep getting better!

For us, not being willing to settle for suffering, our lives got better too!

So, take a break, and do some dancing to remind you of better days for all of us.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

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