Labor Playlist

It's amazing how much music can pick you up or bring you down.

The other day while driving in to work, I heard "The Underdog" by SPOON playing on The Spectrum, a channel on Sirius XM.

The first time I heard that song was the mid-00s. Things were beginning to take a more steep dive in the country and, specifically, at The Evening Sun in Hanover, where I was news editor at the time.

I felt as though I was the underdog, fighting an uphill battle.

Hearing the song's closing lines made me want to pump my fist in the air:

But you won't hear from the messenger

Don't wanna know 'bout something that you don't understand

You got no fear of the underdog

That's why you will not survive, right!

Here's the full song, courtesy of YouTube:

But there are songs, most definitely, that have me near tears. Sometimes, I need to hear them — like that sadness feels good, if that makes sense.

"Raining in Baltimore" by Counting Crows, for decades, was my go-to sad song. If you heard me playing that song, it was a sign that I wasn't just feeling depressed, but that I'd blanketed myself in it.

Here's a few lines that often resonated with me:

These train conversations are passing me by

And I don't have nothing to say 

You get what you paid for

But I just had no intention of living this way

Here's the song, again courtesy of YouTube, if you're feeling melancholy:

In a few days, Jen and I will be heading to the hospital to bring our second child into this world. 

No, I'm not depressed about that. 

But, like we did with Sophie, we'll be making a "Labor Playlist" for Jen to listen to as she battles contractions or is told to push.

We have a few songs in mind, but what are some of your suggestions?

Calling for Jane Jetson

They say that social media postings are the highlight reel of your friends' lives.

Sure, there are lots of photos of laughing, smiling children and adults.

Check-ins at restaurants for glorious meals or bars for tasty beverages.

Status updates musing on how lucky one is to have such a great family/wife/kid/dog/cat/guinea pig.

But what's not posted — the dark stuff — is really what makes up life.

The stresses of work. The arguments with parents or spouses or kids. The mounting debt brought on by trying to provide for your family while battling seemingly unending bills.

Or your own psyche.

I know those things are out there, too.

Yet, I'm human. Perception becomes reality, even if I know better.

So, with that, I'm thinking of letting go of social media.

That's tougher than it sounds, and not because of the huge role the medium has played in my life over the past decade.

I work for a news-gathering service. Part of the way we disseminate the news is through social media.

I've not gotten the kinks worked out on that end of it, so that's why I'm just thinking about it for now.

What about you, gentle reader? How have the creations of people such as Zuckerberg and Dorsey and Musk affected your perceptions and realities?

Is it time to get off this crazy thing?

Fight on

Depression is a hard thing to battle. 

The only way out, though, seems to be through. 

If you're battling, too, know you're not alone.