"Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast..." - William Congreve

I realize that I spend a great deal of time and energy talking about music. Especially when you consider that I am not a musician. Well, not really. I played drums in Jr High and High School but that was just for getting the ladies.....Alright, no comments.... It was a joke. Anyway, yes, I do talk a great deal about music. As I have said before, there is a good reason for this. Music is such an integral part of my life. Whether it's Randy Travis belting out "He Walked on Water" that reminds me of my departed grandfather or the Barenaked Ladies singing "Pinch Me" that conjures up one of a very few good memories of my ex-wife and I. Dancing with Vivian in my arms just giggling and cooing as I spun them around, singing poorly. Music has a way of meaning so much. Not just particular songs. Any music. This is no more evident for me then when I am working. Many of you know I have been in the restaurant business for a great deal of time. In my latest position, I am in the kitchen quite often. Those of you familiar with the business know that the kitchen is a hard place to be. It is hot. Very hot. For a fat guy (like me), it can be unbearably hot. In addition to the heat, there is a great deal of pressure. Orders need to go out in a timely fashion, they need to be correct and more often than not, they need to be aesthetically pleasing. A lot of pressure. Most of the pressure falls on the shoulders of the "Wheel Man." This is the guy who co-ordinates everything. The timing, the precision and the aesthetics. He then must push the food out in the correct order. He also takes the complaints from the servers and floor managers and makes them right. So, the point of this is that I get to be that guy quite often. I have found that it is essential for me to have music to do this job correctly. Yes, I said that right. I need music to assist me in co-ordinating all of these things. I am one of those rare people who finds that tasks involving a great deal of concentration are actually performed better with a musical distraction. I am almost RainMan-like about it. Yeah... gotta have my music...Yeah... K-mart sucks.... Tonight, for instance, I was pushing out a party of 40 and right in the middle of it, with Meatloaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (which I had requested earlier, I am such a geek, thank you 98.7 the Peak) playing in the background, some HEATHEN pulled the plug on my music. I stopped. Dead in my tracks. I did not know what to do or say. I stopped what I was doing. I was not going to push out the remaining 20+ meals without my Meatloaf. Someone in the crowd, opposite of me, recognized this and quickly plugged the music back in. The rest of the food went out and all was well. Music has charms that can sooth the savage breast. Yes, it is breast not beast. This is one of the most frequently misquoted quotes. It is really breast. I think breast is appropo. Don't you? You know what? I had a lot more to write on this. I will continue many of these thoughts in another blog. In another time. Right now, a song has influenced me in another fashion. I just got through listening to "18th Floor Balcony" by Blue October. Heard it? Amazing. It takes me to a place that I am, frankly, not comfortable discussing with y'all. A very special place. A very happy place. A happy place indeed. I cannot continue. I am too emotional right now. It's a good thing though. It drives my point home, yet again. Music is amazing. It soothed my savage breast TWICE tonight. That is a feat not accomplished by mere mortals. Only music.