Sandy Supposes....

Elevator ear Worm

PROMPT: Creation Saturday... Use each of these lines AND add a link or at least a title of a song in your post... 1. The memory we used to share is no longer coherent. 2. Let's all be unique together until we realize we are all the same. 3. A song can make or ruin a person's day if they let it get to them

          Whoosh! I've been holding my breath hoping the resultant lack of oxygen ignites inspiration. Gack! For some strange reason these are the random lyrics bouncing around in my head:" you've got charm, personality, smile, personality..." Yep, this isn't helping with today's blog challenge. Maybe a tangent injected here will jumpstart something, anything.

          Okay, deep breath, and here I go.. A song can make or ruin a person's day if they let it get to them. I agree? Music does seem to get under our skin, and worm its way into our memories. A song is able to reverberate and ricochet in our brains. I suppose this is what inspired the term "ear worm". Slang indicates an ear worm is a piece of music that claims you, and refuses to leave. I understand that the idea of a worm wriggling in a sensitive, tender ear could be annoying, really I do. It's kinda creepy, too. I would ,however, suggest that there are other creepy crawlies that are far more irritating. What about a butterfly flitting and fluttering around sensitive areas uninvited? Better yet, there's nothing more nerve-wracking than the high-pitched whining, and whirring of a hovering mosquito. It's damn persistent as are random musical memories.

         Anytime, I again experience a vehicle breakdown somewhere remote, I flash back to this tune 'I Need a Hero'. My crazy sister and I were once sidelined in a piece-of-crap car on a sweltering summer day. We'd ventured forth with our five kiddies for an afternoon of strawberry picking, and we were attempting to return home. All we could think to do because screaming and stomping our feet would've been ridiculous, and unhelpful was to sing this silly song. We were in need of a hero, a white knight. We were without a cell phone, or tools. Belting out that song gave us a sense of bravado, and it prevented us from weeping and wailing. Our offspring must've thought their mothers had really lost it this time. Anyway, our off-key pleas were answered in the form of a young man who stopped to offer roadside assistance. Not only did he do something to coax that car back to life, but he was easy on the eyes. too. I will say that there was at no time any swooning, just grateful thanks.

          Now, I will segue into an elevator, another metal box of sorts. Who hasn't squeezed onto an elevator with fellow travellers seeking a lift? Chances are most of the riders will be strangers, strangers who leave their immediate past behind once the doors slide closed. We forget about the weather , the traffic, the chaos, the honking of horns, the screeching of brakes, and the shouts of people. We are now crammed together. Voila. The memory we used to share is no longer coherent. We are in a parallel world whisking us up, or down. We are not steering, or controlling this contraption that operates with a series of pulleys, and counter-weights. We have assembled for a shared journey.

         Sigh! Another experience we share is the elevator music, or as some refer to it 'muzak'. Most will valiantly try to ignore it, good or bad. Some might whistle along. Some will 'sing', or perhaps more accurately, croak. There may be hummers. Music is contagious. I find it bizarre to hear Pharrell's song, 'Happy' piped into an elevator. The captive audience hears "Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof." First of all, rarely is there room enough to raise your hands, let alone clap. For those who cannot resist a little boogey, strangers don't take kindly to others bumping and grinding up against them. Personal space is at a premium. Perhaps, there could be toe-tapping. But 'Happy' is an upbeat melody. It evokes a reaction. At least there should be shared smiles instead of the typical elevator behaviour of eye-contact avoidance. Some might realize the absurdity of the lyrics in relation to an elevator; it is a room with a roof, there is no blue, open sky either. It is often difficult to believe "happiness is the truth" when rarely do people converse with each other while sharing an elevator.

         Let's all be unique together until we realize we are all the same. Those elevator passengers are different, yet similar. Some will wear armour of a power suit and tie while clutching their shields of briefcases and portfolios. Some may prefer ball caps, or hard hats. Jeans vie with dresses. Feet may sport sandals, or sneakers, or boots. There will be glints of jewellery, and eyeglasses. Varying aromas of perfume and aftershave will mix and mingle. Men and women, young and old choose to ride an elevator. There are fidgeters, and there are white-knuckle sorts. They all avoided the effort needed to climb the stairs. They all chose to crowd onto one lift instead of waiting for another car. They all probably assumed the elevator would provide a quicker access to other floors. They all trusted the elevator would operate smoothly, and efficiently. They may all have been exposed to the ear worm...