16

Well, it’s been about a month so I thought I’d write a post. And thankfully, I have something to write about.

But first, check out this AMAZING setup I’ve got going on here!

The keyboard was being tossed out by a neighbor so I gladly took possession of it and I’m using my old Samsung tablet with it since a) my computer is near death and b) my iPad is only good for an alarm clock these days. Damn iOS 9.3.5 is pretty useless — all the thing does is crash. At least the alarm clock app works.

Anyway, onto the post.

As I had mentioned a few posts ago, I’m beginning to believe in my empathy more and more. Today I have three solid examples of that and they all involve music.

The first one is simple. While we were sitting outside enjoying the evening a few nights ago, I started whistling Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” as I perused my Timehop posts going back eight years. As I continued to whistle and swipe left, this picture from four years ago popped up.

I posted this on Instagram four years prior. It’s our firepit sans volcanic rock which exposes the flame element and that is, of course, round. So for this post I decided to use lyrics from the aforementioned song that I was whistling earlier.

Strange? Maybe. Coincidental? You decide.

For the second entry, I bring you some 80s goodness from The Go-Go’s. I recently joined a gym because the weather lately has made it practically unbearable to exercise outdoors. Not only that, Planet Fitness was running a fantastic, no-commitment deal of $10/month that I couldn’t pass up.

I have a Spotify playlist called “Drumming” that I listen to while, um, “playing the drums” as I do on occasion. It also doubles a a nifty running playlist and I was listening to it this morning while on the treadmill.

It includes The Go-Go’s “Head Over Heels” which not only is a good song, its beats are pretty much the pace at which I run.

Ah, the sound. The outfits. That spastic Belinda Carlisle dance. Quintessential 80s all the way!

I had the song on repeat a few times as I was running and looked up at one of the TVs that was showing CBS Sunday Morning. They had just wrapped a Billy Joel interview and moved on to another music act: none other than The Go-Go’s.

It turns out “Head Over Heels” is the name of a new Broadway play that showcases their greatest hits in an Elizabethian setting. While I was captivated with the interview (click the link above to see what they went through), I was also taken aback by what had just transpired. It was like the whole “Ring of Fire” thing hapenning again. I smiled, shrugged, and continued on doing four miles total.

But here’s the most interesting one of all.

Thursday morning, my coworker arrived to work and saw this cryptic note on her desk.

(Company name hidden, obviously)

She asked if I knew who left it and I said I didn’t but that before the day is through, there would be some correlation between me and that number. Just like that. Not even giving it a second thought.

Even she thought I was reaching on this one. I mean, some random note on her desk that I’ll be connected to? Why would I even say that, right?

But I knew why.

Before leaving for work that morning, I had told Ann that Anthony has such a deep voice compared to other kids his age. It’s pretty baritone and I jokingly mimicked his voice to Ann as he played Xbox with his friends.

From there, as I randomly do around the house, I broke into song but not any song. Topically, it was one with a baritone voice and one I nailed at karaoke (without even looking at the lyrics).

Ready to be freaked out again? Because here it is.

I kid you not. Sixteen Tons. The correlation I had said would be there, was there. I then told my coworker the above story and she didn’t believe me, so I had to call in the reinforcements.

Once I asked Ann if I was singing it, I showed my coworker the screen and waited for Ann’s reply because I knew what it was going to be.

“Oooooh scary” was Ann’s reply. My coworker told me to stop it because things like this happen between us quite frequently.

Again, I leave it up to you to decide whether it was mere concidence, luck, or that empathy thing working again. Just remember that these songs haven’t been on the charts in decades but they all played a part in these scenarios.

As for me, I seem to know more than I think — whether I know it or not.