Closet Karaoke

Mine was not and continues to not be a family that sings along.  We'd be in a German restaurant, eating some schnitzel or sauerbraten and suddenly, an oompah band would set up, the waitress would pass out song lyrics, and the musicians would launch into "Roll Out the Barrel."  My parents would start eating faster, as would my sister and brother-in-law.  Meanwhile, in my seat, I was joining along with the crowd in a mostly off-key (not me!) and just-about-drunk (also not me!) polka-tastic tune. My family looked so annoyed and pissed off but I went along with it because, hey, singing is fun and sometimes even I go with the flow as I used to have a very good singing voice.

Under the heading of "Use It or Lose It" is me and my singing voice.  I went through a period where I was simply too mortified to get up and toss off a tune to anyone who'd listen, I had to work to pay the bills as it's just me, and my singing voice sort of bottomed out. The high notes are scary but my lower register is really not horrible.  Almost no one cares about one's lower register except for, well, one, who is me.

There are times when I sit at my computer and yank up Karaoke versions of songs on You Tube and sing along like no one is listening.  The high notes are sort of hit, sometimes I have to sing everything in the lowest possible key, and I smile while I am doing it.  It makes me feel happy, it gives me the chance to get out of my head, and sometimes it fills my eyes with tears and I keep singing and realize I am teary and that makes me smile wistfully.

So, for those of you who like to maybe do the Closet Karaoke, this is one of my favorites when it's getting dark, I'm home alone, and I've just binge-watched something on Netflix.  I hope you sing and make it as loud and as off-key as you want.  Like no one's listening.