A September Song
Ba-dee-ya (dee-ya, dee-ya), say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya (dee-ya, dee-ya), dancin' in September
Ba-dee-ya (dee-ya, dee-ya), never was a cloudy day
This is part of the fun chorus in Earth, Wind & Fire’s song “September.” Take a listen in the link above. It was released in 1978, but I have only latched on to it in more recent decades. It is an upbeat song and dang it, it does make me want to dance, so I often do when I listen.
It has been another week of heaviness, fear, and hatred in the current events of our nation and world. Will more countries be drawn into war? An appalling murder silencing a voice that had a right to speak, whether in agreement or disagreement. More students fleeing a school after shots were fired. The twenty-fourth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. People of all ages trying to make sense out of happenings that are not really understandable. If I understood them, I could be capable of them, and I don’t want to be anywhere near that capability.
How does an upbeat song like “September” come into play here? September is my sobriety month, marking another year of recovery from alcoholism. I work more on making each day count than I do on counting years, but ongoing sobriety is a hugely significant gift in my life and deserves to be noted. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones, but I am deeply and humbly blessed. I have recovery practices, a community of supportive friends on the same journey, and a loving higher power beyond my human self to help guide me.
I want to dance. Recovery calls for an energetic dance. Not to ignore reality or silence grief, but to honor life and hope. And to build connections to move us in the right directions. The directions that find common ground.
One of my early spiritual advisors in recovery referred to our disease as “terminal uniqueness.” If I think I am different and no one alse could possibly understand, I isolate, toxic thinking grows, and I could end up drinking myself to death. This terminal uniqueness is playing out in a wider sense in our disconnected and distracted society.
I didn’t get to recovery overnight. We can’t turn around the problems we face as a nation and world overnight. Yet, we can start small today. Put on your favorite tunes. Dance. Maybe a smile will grow and fear will fade a little. Then, when we see each other later in the day, we will connect and the good energy will grow. Onward!
