By Steven O. Evans, PhD
I grew up in a very small town in Kentucky. My dad’s boss at the bank, L D Sweazy (he didn’t have a first or middle name, just initials) once told dad, “Don’t tell everyone all your business.” In our world of social media, I think that is still sage advice.
I will share some of what the last few months have been like, of which I now call, “The Darkest Chapter of my Life.” I went through a challenging (to say the least) 11 months in Lexington, KY that I used to assign that label. I won’t go into the details, but I still deal with some of the anxiety and PTSD that resulted from it.
With all the events since March, I do believe I can reassign that title to these last few months. I hate to complain, because I do have so much for which to be thankful. However, there is one piece of this chapter that has been more difficult, nay I say painful, that I ever expected to come. I’ll not “tell all my business,” but suffice it to say, this strange science fiction movie we all seem to be part of, has included a subplot for me with characters that have touched my heart.
Since they started, I have followed a music group called Point of Grace. Their depth of words has always spoken to my soul. God laid this song on my heart, and I wanted to share the words of “How You Live [Turn Up the Music]”¹ with you:
Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don’t spend your life lookin’ back
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don’t run from the truth
Cause you can’t get away
Just face it and you’ll be okay
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
Oh wherever you are and wherever you’ve been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E’en when you don’t think that you can
Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
Cause in the end there’s nobody else
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live
So, no matter where you are in this “COVID-movie,” remember, it’s how you live. Take some chances that you would never have taken before. Make peace with those around you. Go to the theater, the symphony, the ballgames, the clubs, the restaurants, and all the places that make South Florida so fabulous. Talk to your family, even if it’s via FaceTime. This is the time to make your wishes and reinvent yourself, your life, and, maybe, your career. Don’t look back, but see the possibilities. Dance, even if it’s just you in your bedroom. If you have a boyfriend, partner, wife, or husband, kiss them every morning, noon, afternoon, and night. Hold their hand in public (kiss them, too!) and be proud of who you are and who you are with.
Now is the time to turn up the music and turn it up loud. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. “Cause it’s not who you knew, and it’s not what you did. It’s how you live.”
May happiness be abounding ² amidst this storm.
Publisher & Editor in Chief
¹How You Live (Turn Up the Music) lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Songwriters: Cindy Morgan / Cindy Lavonne Morgan
²Dr. Angela Easterday-Holder, former Chair and Professor of Music at Carson-Newman University.
