My Achilles Heel

(IM: 3/13/08)
Coworker: who are you singing lullaby's to?
Amanda: sorry....my mind thinks in music sometimes....I do it without even realizing...it manifests itself in more frightening ways at home that I try not to subject my co-workers to :)


It's dreadfully foolish to offer ones weakness up for general consumption. The only reason I feel safe publicizing to the world (there's an ego, thinking "They're" ALL hanging on my every word), has to do with the nature of my suggestible trait: Music. Nonsense or fact? I live in a constant state of music suggestibility. It's not that I'm a weak-willed individual. But this is one area of life where I am unable to stay in control.

I welcome you inside my head for just a minute. I'd extend the invitation, but I can barely hear all the voices as it is and I'm afraid you might become frightened, or bored (which is even worse). It's possible that you also share in my torment. If so, you will quickly recognize these signs...

How to know if you suffer from Music Suggestibility:

1. You've gotten used to your co-workers, friends, family (or the bus full of fellow commuters) attempting to appear unshaken as they watch you out of their peripheral vision. You question their strange behavior as you sing or hum quite loudly.
2. You struggle to find your "own words" to express how you feel, but can think of a million Broadway tunes that perfectly explain your inner turmoil.
3. The people you have truly enjoyed living with (spouses, roommates, family members, etc...) are the ones that have a song for every occasion, sunrise to sunset (ala, Fiddler on the Roof).
4. You have entire "conversations" composed of a medley of original tunes, sung in harmony (yes, you don't know what the next word or note will be, but it's sung in harmony) and you think: what an enlightening discussion.
5. A soundtrack follows you wherever you go, enjoying a musical background to each moment of the day.
6. TV ads, Retail stores, and websites with music share one (sometimes horrendous) quality. You can't get the music out of your head!
7. You have a theme song. And your friends know what it is.
8. You once had "Yellow Submarine" (as sung by the Beatles) stuck in your head for an entire year, prior to that it was "I Feel Good" (as sung by James Brown) for 2 straight years.
9. At any given moment you find a song in place of thoughts. This is complicated by the fact that songs are even more difficult to from spilling out the lips.
10. You have used actual minutes of your life thinking about how awesome it would be to split your vocal chords, so that you can harmonize with yourself.

You might think I'm crazy, maybe I am. At least I've taken this opportunity to remind others who share my affliction that they are not alone. A fair exchange methinks ;)