Finding Joy in the Blues, Pt. 2
My Christian belief system was challenged by my family situation. Over the past three years, it has been a test of my faith. It was easy to look at things with regret and sadness. I experienced all the elements of grief, and my health was directly affected.
My knowledge of who God is and who He is in my life did not make me immune to feelings of despair or the stress on my body and mind. This was compounded by the uncertainty of living in today's world, especially as an aging African American male in the retirement stage of life.
Fighting depression and anxiety, I was looking for something like what was mentioned in the lyrics by Huey Lewis and Christopher John Hayes:
I want a new drug:
One that won't make me sick
One that won't make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick
I want a new drug
One that won't hurt my head
One that won't make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red
One that won't make me nervous
Wondering what to do
I found joy in the music of my ancestors. It isn’t a silly kind of feeling. It’s a profound sense of happiness and satisfaction from accomplishing a goal. It’s often a small moment in time prolonged by a YouTube recording, riff, or song. Documenting my journey as a guitarist on YouTube has been a joyful way to track my progress and share my passion. It's not just about playing the guitar, but also about learning new skills like video editing, understanding the platform, and experimenting with creative elements like wardrobes, color, and lighting.
This music is a gift from God. Music is universal. I believe this genre that I have chosen originates in the soul. The blues is a deeply influential genre of music that evolved from the oral traditions of enslaved Africans in America, from work songs, spirituals, and field hollers. Blues music has had a profound impact on many other genres, including jazz, rock and roll, and R&B. Today, it is universal to the human condition of love, hardship, and resilience. It is this resilience that appeals to me now. I know that music is good for both the heart and brain.
Early on, a therapist suggested I try something tactile to keep my brain active and to learn something new to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. The doctor added that I needed to do something physical as well. I tried yoga, but Kung Fu was more my speed.
Happiness is temporary. It is contingent on what is happening. Joy sticks around a little longer because it comes from God. No matter how much joy you have or can achieve, it always leaves a positive impact on our well-being.
The apostle Paul is recorded in the Bible as asking God three times to remove the infirmity he had to no avail. God’s answer to his servant in 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that even in our weakest moments, God's grace is enough to sustain us. It's a beautiful message of hope and resilience. This verse suggests that we should not be ashamed of our weaknesses, but instead use them as opportunities for God's power to be displayed, hence why I have posted this publicly.
We mistakenly say that God doesn’t give us anything beyond what we can bear, but that isn’t true at all. I believe that God wants to do things that are beyond people's abilities, intellects, and resources. As a result, we cannot take glory for things that God does through us.
In conclusion, finding joy in the blues has been a transformative experience for me. It has allowed me to connect with my heritage, express my emotions, and find a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Through music, I have discovered a powerful tool for healing and resilience, and I am grateful for the journey it has taken me on.
