Yup. We’re about to hit the month of August in nine days. Sit with that for a minute.
What exactly is going on Round Here??!!!
The song “Round Here” popped into my head the other day. Counting Crows. Circa 1993 (what?!!). From the album August and Everything After. I haven’t listened to the band in years, but that album might still be one of my desert island discs (an album you would hope to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island).
Here is the song just in case you need a refresher (sorry, not sorry):
I was obsessed with “Round Here” back then. I memorized the lyrics and learned how to play it on guitar. Then one day during a live performance, I saw lead singer Adam Duritz point to his head while singing the lyric “Roouuuunnd here….” The entire song changed for me.
Maybe I’m the only one who didn’t get it at first, but Round Here wasn’t about a place he was standing, it was in his head – his thoughts, his mind. The song went next level for me, people.
“Round here, hey man, got lots of time
Round here we’re never sent to bed early
and nobody makes us wait
Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late.”
My recent walk down memory lane made me think of the current state of our Round Here — COVID19-style. Man, do we got lots of time. People are forgetting what day it is. Days turn into weeks, then months, then what the hell happened to 2020?
The thing about pandemics and quarantines: You can’t escape Round Here.
Your mind Round Here is open 24/7. There’s no escape. We can dull it for a moment. Avoid it as best we can. But alas, there it sits waiting for us to come home. So, we better make the most of it.
Everything that happens in life is a lesson. So, what IS the lesson of 2020? STOP, DROP, and ROLL? Kinda.
You’ve been forced to STOP what you normally do. DROP deep down into yourself. And ROLL with the punches.
How does that make you feel? I know so many people who were constantly running before all this hit. Sitting with yourself isn’t always easy. I get it. But if you don’t take time to sit with yourself, you’ll never know what it’s like to BE with yourself. You’re missing out on YOU. You’re awesome!
On top of everything else, some have had their jobs come to a screeching halt. I don’t want to say I’m ahead of the game, but…been there, done that – back in 2016. What if now is the time to reinvent yourself? I know some that have lost jobs they hated. “You’re welcome,” said the Universe.
When I lost that big job years ago, aka got thrown off a cliff, a friend said to me, “Sometimes the Universe does something for us we didn’t have the courage to do for ourselves.” I wanted to slap her. Probably like you’re wanting to slap me right now.
All I know is a whole lot of us let ourselves and our lives get stagnant. We stay in the comfort zone cuz it’s easy. Even if we hate a job, we keep showing up because any other choice takes work. Mental and physical.
I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her to always pursue all her passions full force, even if she has a job that’s pretty cool and pays well. I would tell her to always look for ways to go next level. Always keep dreaming. Help others. Know you can have anything in your life that you truly imagine.
A friend of mine recently told me she was so sick of not getting what she wanted. What if we simply stopped accepting less? I, too, often make life so much harder than it needs to be.
What if we sat back with confidence knowing that we will get exactly what we want, and we won’t stop until we do? How different would our life look? How different would Round Here feel?
I have proven to myself time and time again: when I want something, I get it. Hey, some of it took 46 years (see exhibit A), but I did it.
I also have achieved things in my career some people only dream of. I’ve traveled the world (OK, just some of the world, but I’m working on that). Yet there are times I crawl back into not believing my fierce self. Feeling less than. Or woe is me.
Sure. Right now isn’t always easy. I want to hang out with my friends. Go to concerts. Sit down and eat and drink at a restaurant. See my family. Travel!
Most of that isn’t possible right now. I know I’m one of the lucky ones to be quarantined with an amazing person and pup. I get to listen to music that churns my soul. I can get delicious take-out. I can go on long walks. I can have wine delivered! 😊
The hand we’re all being dealt right now may not look like a winner. But if you swish those cards around and change your outlook, you just might realize you have a royal flush.
I’m going to look back at 2020 as a time I got to spend a lotta time Round Here.
Thank you, Adam Duritz, for making me dig deep into ME. Cuz Round Here I’m grateful for my friends, my family, my life. I’m appreciating this time to sit with myself more and regain my sense of strength, wisdom, and peace from within.
I’m ready for August…and everything after.
Namaste.
Julie Slater, aka THE LOTUS FLOWER, looooves music – a rabid fan and musician. You may recognize her voice – she’s a voiceover artist, audiobook narrator, and podcast host (www.julieslater.com).
Julie has DJ’d on top stations: 88.5 FM and 100.3 the Sound in LA, and 92.3 K-Rock in NYC following Howard Stern. She’s also a news anchor on NPR station 89.3 KPCC in Pasadena.
Our lil’ lotus spends her time meditating, doing yoga, candle making, and cooking. She has a slight obsession with deep, dark cabernets & small batch whiskey. Namaste!