Music Therapy with Miss Moon

“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.”

Happy Monday, everybody! Last week I encountered something that was pretty powerful for me, that inspired my song choice for this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon. A tough week at work, coupled with picking the pieces after the end of my engagement and five year relationship had me feeling like the weight of the world was on our shoulders. After work one day, I stopped to have a cigarette before heading on the train when I was approached by a young woman who was 19 years old.

She approached me quite hesitantly to bum a cigarette and asked if I minded if she joined me for a smoke. I said of course not and we fell into a conversation about our lives. It was very much like talking to my 19 year old self, as she talked about the fears and concerns she had for her future. I too had those feelings, along with an amazing sense of opportunity.

As she poured her heart out to me, a stranger, about her worries about getting into the right school and whether her life would be happy, I remembered how hesitant and unsure of myself I was at 19.

I am a far happier woman today at 34 than I was then, despite being newly single and tired and in desperate need of a vacation. I wouldn't trade places with her for the world.

I told her that everything I've done, for better or worse, have ultimately made me the woman I am today. And that woman is awesome. I told her that her future begins 30 seconds from now, so what's the use in dwelling in the fear of it.

I hope that my words of encouragement reached out to her that night, and I dedicate this song, a song that I loved very much at her age, to her wherever she is. Here's "Dancing Nancies" by the Dave Matthews Band. It's a song about pondering what life would be like if you were someone else, as I have, and I'm sure we all have. Let it serve as a reminder to recognize how wonderful we all are, despite wishing we were more at times.

Could I have been
A parking lot attendant
Could I have been
A millionaire in Bel Air
Could I have been Lost somewhere in Paris
Could I have been
Your little brother
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone

He stands touch his hair his shoes untied
Tongue gaping stare
Could I have been a magnet for money?
Could I have been anyone other than me?

Twenty three and so tired of life
Such a shame to throw it all away
The images grow darker still
Could I have been anyone other than me? Then I
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy

I am who I am who I am who am I
Requesting some enlightenment
Could I have been anyone other than me?

Sing and dance I'll play for you tonight
And thrill at it all
Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes
But I'll work it out then I

Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy

Falling out of a world of lies
Could I have been dancing nancy
Could I have been anyone other than me?