A Song That Makes You Happy

There are so many songs I could name here.  Miles and miles of them in a list.

In the case of this particular song, it struck home in a moment I will never forget.  I’m not shy about speaking truthfully about my struggles with mental health.  I believe firmly that in fighting stigma, those of us who feel able should speak without shame and help to combat myths and normalize the discussion.  I feel I am in a place where I am able, and thus, I do so.

I have attended hundreds of concerts, without exaggeration, in venues spanning North America.  Tiny clubs, ampitheatres, concert halls – I’ve been screened by security of all kinds.  I am chronically ill and carry several medications at all times, including my panic medication.  No big deal, right?

In attending a Jack’s Mannequin concert a few years ago, a security guard made a spectacle of me for my pills, ignored my name on the printed labels and implied I couldn’t possibly actually need my panic medications because people use them recreationally, and when I was adamant, she spoke snottily and implied I was a freak.

I was attending this show, as I do often, alone.  I had no ally to stand by me.  I walked inside, checked my coat, and took said panic medication.  I felt uncomfortable.  I wanted to leave, miss the show, run and hide.  Instead, I fought through it and stayed.

I missed half the opener’s set, in that I wasn’t fully present and engaged.  The first song to bring me back in was today’s song choice.  It brightened my mood, had me tapping my foot in time, and wanting to learn more about this new band in my world.  It’s become a staple “bouncy” playlist track, one I’ve shared with countless friends on mixes.

The mainstream may have truly paid attention to them last fall, but I fell for them in February of 2010.  Thank you, for bringing me back out of my shell that night.

All The Pretty Girls – fun.