What’s Going On
and whenever someone asks this, I think of Marvin Gaye’s song of the same name
I have dabbled, over the years, with many instruments. It seems like I have always loved music. Like it is a part of me. Piano, coronet, trumpet, acoustic guitar, string bass, harmonica.
As good or bad as I ever got on any of these instruments, I never could get any good out of my natural, inborn instrument, my voice. I, once, even had a daughter ask me not to sing Happy Birthday to her with the others at her birthday party.
She gave in when I told her no song, no present. I want to be happy, joyous, and free and, with the help of music, I always have been and I still am.
So, what does this have to do with the topic What’s Going On? For me, almost everything. It seems like wherever I am and I hear someone say something, it reminds me of a song. Of course, many are from the 50s-70s.
Even today’s title “What’s going on” Brings to mind Marvin Gaye’s Motown version of this. My head has been full of Marvin’s voice as I am writing this.
What happens when I am reminded of a song? Of course, I have to sing a few words of it no matter where I am. Drives them bonkers when I am working in the Flint East Side Soup Kitchen.
Other volunteers and homeless, hopeless patrons alike say “Oh, that’s just Jim again, and laugh.” But soon, some are singing the same song and we all are happy together in the moment.
Last Sunday’s talk about Mindfulness by Reverend Stephanie Sorensen at the Life Enrichment Center in Flint, MI was titled “What’s Cooking?” Click here to hear it. “What’s cooking” is another way of saying “What’s going on?”
Reverend Stephanie said “Vigilance allows us to pause between stimulus and response so that we can choose what we want to experience in the moment. Being mindful is inner vigilance.
It’s paying attention who we are being and how we are being in the moments of our life as we live them. If we decide to practice mindfulness, by the time this not-so-new-year ends, our life will still feel new.
In this way, every day we’ll feel enriched and blessed. There won’t be one iota of regret or remorse because we’ll know that in each moment we were free to choose and we did!”
So, “What’s Going On” with me? I have surrounded myself with people that I really enjoy being around. This contributes to my being happy, joyous, and free.
I have family and friends who just plain love me. Having been on the other end of the love-hate choice before, I am eating this up and will do my best to keep it only getting better.
How can I make this all even better for all? I live with the AA 3rd Step, shortened version, by simply saying “God, help me,” then stepping aside and letting Him. Couldn’t be any simpler.
As long as I remember that God is not my co-pilot, as I have seen on many bumper stickers, but that He is my Pilot, I remain happy, joyous, and free. Thank you, God!
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