“There’s been a load of compromisin’ on the road to my horizon,” but one compromise I was not willing to make was on my divorce playlist. My divorce playlist was nothing short of medicinal for me and had a significant influence on my emotional recovery. Just recently, as I was embarking on some spring-cleaning, I stumbled upon my old iPod Nano. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I read the titles and hit play. Track One: “Mr. Roboto: ‘Domo Arigato”.
My divorce playlist encapsulated every emotion and feeling that I had been going through at the time. It was filled with affirmations, inspirations, and subtle undertones that said to me, “I hope you never lose your sense of wonder, I hope you dance”. I listened to my play list during every workout, as I cleaned my house, walked my dog, drove in my car and went grocery shopping. There were only ten songs on my divorce playlist. Track Two: Joni Mitchell’s “Both sides Now,” rows and flows of angel hair.
One thing that stood out about my playlist was that it wasn’t filled with angry songs. Instead, it was a mixed bag of eclectic and inspiring songs that made me feel like Alicia Keys was actually telling me that “This Girl was on Fire”, or that Michael Jackson was compelling me to say, “I’m gonna make a change for once in my life,” or peaceful songs that gave me the sensation that Christopher Cross was convincing me to go “Sailing take me away to where I’ve always heard it could be” or that Journey was saying directly to me “Don’t Stop believing”. Track Three: Barry Manilow’s “I Made it Through the Rain”, “And then one day the sun appears”
The very last song on my playlist was “Man in Motion.” It was written for the movie St. Elmo’s Fire and told the story of a boy who was paralyzed in a car crash at the age of 15. It’s been my go to song for most of my life and is a staple on every play list I make (so is Mr. Roboto). I have always found it to be so incredibly powerful and inspirational with a melody that I could just never get sick of no matter how many times I listed to it. Although I was going through a divorce and it was a challenging time, it reminded me that “Just once in his life a man has his time, and my time is now, I’m coming alive”, and “I’m gonna be where the lights are shining on me, like a Rhinestone Cowboy”…
Dare to share the songs on your divorce playlist? Divorce Angels would love to hear what they are/were. My complete “stuck in the 80”s but Not in This Marriage” Playlist can be found on Spotify by clicking the link below “I hope you dance”.
https://open.spotify.com/user/amylindo/playlist/2Tx5RCFP32ZzDbRJKZt7UG
Amy Lindo
