❌Monthly Song Challenge: Archived🎵

Day 21: A song for feeling powerful

I had a few options laid out for this post, but this song feeds directly into my delusions of grandeur. What is more powerful than being dangerously high on my own supply?

It is incredibly catchy with a good beat.

I'm not a wanna be, I'm the one they wanna be.

Wanna Be- ceo@business (Lentra), hyphen

 
Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse

The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.

And then COVID lockdowns hit.

But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.

I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.

It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.

A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.

The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.

The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.

Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
 
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Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse

The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.

And then COVID lockdowns hit.

But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.

I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.

It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.

A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.

The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.

The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.

Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
And I was one of the very very few who had flood insurance. So, ironically, it was the flood that ultimately gave me the financial relief all my hard work was supposed to bring. Ain't life weird?
 
Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse

The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.

And then COVID lockdowns hit.

But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.

I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.

It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.

A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.

The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.

The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.

Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
What an amazing story.

You are powerful!!!
 
Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse

The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.

And then COVID lockdowns hit.

But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.

I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.

It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.

A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.

The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.

The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.

Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
WOW! You are amazingly resilient!
 
Day 20: A song for feeling silly
"Disco Snails" - Vulfmon & Zachary Barker
When I evict snails, I'll tell them I'm taking them where they can have a disco in the bushes but NIMBY 😑
Day 20: A song for feeling silly

Flight Of The Conchords - Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

I almost chose a song of theirs yesterday, I'm so glad you did! My favorite comedy duo 🥰
Day 21: A song for feeling powerful

Day 21: A song for feeling powerful

Oh man, when that orchestra kicks in! Helps if you don’t understand Latin or know what they’re actually singing about.

Day 21: A song for feeling powerful

Richard Wagner - Ride of The Valkyries​

Classical music is powerful AF 😍😍😍 I think I should make a classical playlist that's just bangers 🤔
 
Day 20: A song for feeling silly

AM radio used to play music, and some of it surprised you. When I was in college in Portland, I was working graveyard at a gas station (Oregon at the time did not allow self-service. They are still begrudging about it). Not a convenience store, or even an old service station, but just a glass box full of cigarettes along with a dozen gas pumps. I would clean up, pump gas, sell smokes, do homework, read. Got laid a couple of times, which is interesting in a lit up glass box, but fun. And listened to the radio a lot. One night I was running along the AM dial when I heard what I found out later was the opening of a song by LaTour, followed by "the beat, the beat, the beat." This is called "stunting" in radio, and it went on for a couple of weeks, before Portland's first Alternative station -- 970 The Beat-- came on the air. (I loved their first print add: "Music the way it is supposed to be--smashed down and blasting out a crappy AM radio.") No on air talent, few commercials, just music that I hadn't heard before. Ratcat, Pavement, All is Fair in Love and War, Judybats, Trash Can Sinatras, and a bunch that I have no idea still, as there was no Internet to look things up and no DJs to say what they were playing. The PD just played whatever the fuck he wanted for the first three months or so, and it was glorious. And he liked this one a lot.

2NU was a Seattle based spoken word duo that added music and effects to odd stories and dreams to make pop songs. When this song first came out, they didn't have a name, and the local jock said "they were too new," and so the name stuck. I loved the wordplay, and it is quite silly.

"This is Ponderous," 2NU

 
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