God Rest Ye Merry Travelers
December 3, 2015
Over the past year, I have traveled more than I ever did before. I love to go to new places, especially with or to go see people that I love. Yet, I have realized that traveling can be very, very stressful, especially around the holidays.
Mainly, I’m stressed when things don’t go my way. This goes into a deeper problem that I have, which is called “impatience”, but when traveling it seems to flare up the most. When my flights are canceled and my trains are delayed and my bus number is confusing, I get really annoyed and always say to myself, “I will never take (this mode of transportation) ever again.”
Yet, this all changes for me when I turn to music.
Music, for me, is a lifeline. That may sound hyperbolic to you, and if it does, I understand. Music does not always touch souls in the way it has mine, but through the years, it has been something I can rely on. When everything around me is changing all the time, I can play a song and realize that it never changed and it never will. Its meaning for me may have changed over time, but the song itself is constant.
Because of its constant presence in my life, in stressful situations, music reminds me to take a breather. When flying to see my best friend and my flight is delayed, it is much more difficult to stress when Daughter’s soothing voice is in my ears. I can turn to The Head and the Heart and remember that it’s all going to be okay. And in every situation always, I can hear Ben Howard and remember that life is so, so good.
This is a reason I love working for Student Activities as an Event Supervisor – music and the entertainment world is something that we strive to be not only not only familiar with, but also immersed in. We do not choose to shy away from culture, especially in the music realm; instead, we pursue it and become a part of it so that we can appreciate it for what it is and stand for change where it needs to happen. Student Activities as a department encourages me to continue growing in my knowledge and passion for music, and this is not something that I take for granted.
Therefore, as the season of traveling and conundrum in general is upon us, remember that in the midst of all the Black Friday shoppers and holiday stress, there are things that we do have control over. The music that we choose to take with us wherever we go is one thing that we can control, and if we allow it to, it can enhance whatever we’re doing, wherever we are at.