Choice in Uncertainty

I found myself spiraling yesterday. I won’t tell you it was a pretty sight. I was worried about people I care about at great risk of serious consequences if they catch this virus- and angry towards those people I perceived as being completely selfish in their actions, putting those people I care about at risk. And stressed at the fact that I feel I have no control over any of it.

I can feel those emotions surging again just thinking about it.

This morning, I brought my record player upstairs to my office and hooked it up. I put on one of my favorite albums- Dave Brubeck’s We’re All Together Again for the First Time. I love listening to records- they force me to slow down. I don’t skip songs if I get bored; I listen through. Every 10-15 minutes, I am reminded to turn it over. The songs, in the order they are laid out, tell a story. And with all music (and life), we get to choose what that story is. That feels good.

In this experience, I’m reminded that there is so much over which I have control- the music I listen to, the people I send my love to, the books I read, the information I consume (or don’t), the food I eat, the alcohol I consume (or don’t)… The list goes on. In these times of uncertainty, we do have choices. I’m choosing to listen to Dave Brubeck. And it feels pretty good.