Defying Gravity

Music has been my friend and constant companion since I was a child. When I was happy, sad, scared, lonely, in love or suffering in love, music has been there to offer mood enhancement, safety, and acknowledgement of my emotions. I've always been profoundly moved by music. Even as a small girl a piece of music could move me to tears. I am still that way.
Be it song content, the artist's talent, or a memory attached to the piece, music has a grip on me. When I discover a song that reaches me I become obsessed and feel compelled to listen constantly, learn the lyrics, and have it soak into my soul.
Currently there are two songs that I am "gaga" over:  Glee's cover of Lady GaGa's "Poker Face" sung by Idina Menzel and Lea Michele and, from the Broadway show Wicked, Idina Menzel singing "Defying Gravity". Not only am I drawn to these two numbers, but I find the common thread - Idina Menzel. I am a fan of Rent and became aware of this talented woman on that soundtrack. Recently, because of Glee (a television show about a high school glee club), Idina Menzel came back into my listening world and I find her voice even more powerful and intoxicating. With a little stop on Youtube I found her performing "Defying Gravity" and was a goner. This song speaks to me so loudly and plainly. For years I've been wanting to do something of note, to break out of the ordinary and write. With dozens of unfinished projects, a string of incompletes, and a mountain of excuses I was going nowhere as a writer. When I discovered my husband's favorite NASCAR site in the Spring of 2007, Rowdy.com, I took my first giant leaps into the realm of writing. Blogging opened up a brand new wonderful world for me to exercise my creative mind. What started out as NASCAR/racing-related blogs soon blossomed into much more personal accounts. I still love the work I do there and the people I associate with at that site. But I began to truly "defy gravity" when I started this blog site. Putting my name on the title, having the ultimate freedom to write about anything and everything that is on my mind, makes me feel like the tethers that had held me down have been cut! Writing daily has energized me and made me, even in this short time, a better wife, mother, friend, and person. By facing my fears, insecurities and character flaws on a public forum, I am forced to deal with them head on and learn from them. Having a readership who interacts with me allows me camaraderie, a sounding board, a cheerleading squad, and a ever-growing community of my own. Being a stay-at-home mom can be very isolating and sharing my life in this forum has made that role infinitely easier to do and appreciate.
This topic may even become a series. The music that has influenced me over the years is a topic that I'm selfishly interested in exploring. And with each week/theme, I'm interested in reading about the music that has affected you in the different stages of your life. As is evident by the outpouring of responses to the Friday Music Blogs I post, music is important to many of you. Let me know what music inspires you to personal greatness like "Defying Gravity" does for me.