The weather was gloomy, I’d finished my book and did not have another one to read.
Nobody wanted to talk to me or play a game with me and I was feeling miserable and heavy-hearted.
Then I switched on the radio … a song that I really like was playing.
Macarena by Los del Rio.
It’s not a new song – in fact, it came out in 1993, long before I was even born – but it’s one of those timeless songs that you can’t help singing along to.
Even if you don’t know the words properly.
Immediately my insides lifted and my heart felt lighter. Really, it did.
I turned it up so loud that mum complained that she could not hear herself think.
I sang loudly and did a little dance around the kitchen, probably doing all the wrong moves but I did not care and anyway, there was nobody to see me.
I immediately felt better.
I went off and found something to do and just listened to the music in the background (by this time I had turned it down a bit).
I like to listen to the words of songs too – but often these days they are just sappy and repeat themselves over and over.
I decided to do a bit of research about how music makes you happy and was amazed to find out that it has a lot of other benefits too:
• Listening to classical music can lower your blood pressure.
• Surgeons listen to music when they are doing surgery as it makes them more calm and relaxed.
• Listening to music may help the body defend itself from disease and infection. Apparently, it raises the level of natural killer cells.
• Listening to soothing music can help a person sleep. It soothes fractious babies too.
• Singing can improve your breathing, which can help people who have lung problems.
And how’s this … plants not only enjoy being talked to but they like listening to music too.
Okay, so they don’t exactly listen but apparently, pressure from the sound waves creates vibrations that can be picked up by plants that are beneficial to them.
How cool is that?
The moral of the story – whether you sing, play an instrument, listen to music or do all three, music makes your life better.
Happy listening people.
Sibo
