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Since I can’t force myself into a better frame of mind, I’ve found ways to facilitate the transition. I can’t do it with intent, though. It has to be an accidental by-product of something totally unplanned. I have to fool myself sometimes, but that isn’t very hard, so it often works.
Today I tried to get into the Christmas spirit, but it wasn’t taking. I put on Holly, the satellite radio station that plays seasonal music, but I didn’t last very long. I didn’t mind the music, but it wasn’t making me feel anything. So I switched to The Loft, my ordinary everyday singer-songwriter station, and after an hour of listening (while working on payroll, ugh), I began to feel a lot like Christmas. Or if not quite that, at least better in general.
The station plays a mix of old (as old as Chuck Berry and early Dylan, anyway) and new (people you might have heard of but whose names I forget until I hear their song again). When I’m driving, I try to remember the names of these unfamiliar artists and their unfamiliar but comforting songs long enough to look them up when I get home. When I’m home, I go straight to Google or YouTube. It might not be the best way to stay productive, but it’s the best way to get me in the holiday spirit. And that always has a trickle-down effect. |
