A Certain Point of View, Too

On Music: Melodies to Chase Away the Dreaded Mid-July Blues

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by

Alex Diaz-Granados
in , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The author and his mother, circa 1963. A week from today it will be eight years since she died.

Late Morning, Wednesday, July 12, 2023, Lithia, Florida

Hi, there. I’m off to a later-than-usual start on this hot (88°F/31°C) summer day in the Tampa Bay area. I slept OK, I guess, but I haven’t felt like writing anything (not for the blog, not for the manuscript) till just now. I’m still tired, stressed, and, as I expected, keenly aware that the eighth anniversary of my mother’s death is just one week away.

I’m trying to not think about that too much, and I do plan to focus my attention on writing my novel. Nevertheless, I am sad, and there’s nothing that anyone else can do about that. That’s my burden, and I’ll deal with it somehow.

One of the best ways I have to cope with sadness (or resentment, or any other negative emotions) is to enjoy music. I either sing – not very well now since I am not part of a choir or even practice what I remember from my 2.5 years in South Miami High’s choral group – or listen to pre-recorded songs or instrumental compositions.

And since I do not feel inclined to write a long blog post (I don’t even have a better topic than this at the moment), I will share some of those compositions with you instead:

  • The Cowboys Overture by John Williams
  • It Was a Very Good Year performed by Frank Sinatra
  • All the Things You Are by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Third Movement from Symphony No. 3 by Johannes Brahms
  • Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields
  • Princess Leia’s Theme from Star Wars: A New Hope by John Williams
  • As Time Goes By from Casablanca by Herman Hupfeld
  • Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark by John Williams
My blog posts are not complete unless they end with this! 🙂

Comments

3 responses to “On Music: Melodies to Chase Away the Dreaded Mid-July Blues”

  1. henhouselady Avatar
    henhouselady

    Get some rest. Death anniversaries are hard to deal with.

    Like

  2. Patti Aliventi Avatar
    Patti Aliventi

    I was very acutely aware of the 10th anniversary of my daughter’s suicide last month. However, being on the cruise helped quite a bit. My friends toasted her that day as well. It’s a shame you don’t have a way to get out that day and do something other than stare at the four walls. It really helps.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Alex Diaz-Granados Avatar
      Alex Diaz-Granados

      Writing helps…somewhat. Not as much as a cruise, say, but better than nothing.

      I just wish my novella were selling a bit better. Higher sales would make my day!

      Liked by 1 person