What is That Noise?

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

The drums were repetitive and grating — a relentless assault on my senses. I had no idea that a hotel workers’ strike was about to help me better see people who would usually serve the hotel guests and, at the same time, make me desperately long for quiet from the numbing drums and chants reverberating all day long EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!

Am I whining? Yes, I am.

Last week, my husband and I enjoyed traveling to Boston, Massachusetts for a few days and then Portland, Maine in the middle of the brilliant, changing Fall season. It was time for Chris to attend his annual CHEST Conference with fellow pulmonologists and for me to have a scheduled “writing retreat.” As I struggled to write amidst the sounds of the protests outside my windows, I was very aware that my “first world problems” were just mine to own. What a privilege I was experiencing to travel freely, stay in a beautiful hotel; eat well; walk without assistance; see clearly; enjoy writing with able hands; and take a few minutes to smell the flowers along the way. I was acutely aware of the economic inequity of these two worlds.

Watching people move about these two cities, I also became more appreciative of the spaces I have enjoyed as an able-bodied person that others could not. Many cobbled streets and uneven sidewalks in these historic towns would have been treacherous for those with balance instabilities and most certainly wheelchair users. However, I smiled when I saw a dad escort his son with very apparent sensory challenges into the hotel and straight into the elevator. It was a sweet sight and memory for me as I recalled taking Robert out and about with a similar, focused walk.

Crack. “We want a contract ….” Crack.

I woke up each morning in Boston with the protesters’ cadence in my head. However, I learned to relax a little more in Portland, Maine, where the tagline, “The way life should be,” had new meaning for me! Here, I was able to easily embrace conversations with my sister, Cheryl, and her husband, Marlon, making the trip very enjoyable. We laughed continuously, enjoyed the many bodies of water in Portland, and even experienced a one-on-one stretch class with Cheryl as the instructor. We were much more relaxed then!

The contrast of these two cities reminds me that no matter where people live, there are always those who have more, and those who have less … all worthy of my respect and acknowledgment of their existence. As we boarded our plane to fly back to Texas, the woman in her wheelchair boarding first, caused me to, again, consider my “privilege.”

Once again, I am more aware. Are you?

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

Listening Library: Up (Tauren Wells   )

https://youtu.be/FqTeksd2_R0?si=nXQwTvNY_3kg71nx

Up

Everybody workin' real hard, yeah

From Wall Street to the small-town barber

Everybody in a dark place, yeah

Crying tears like a river runs

No umbrella and you're caught in the rain

Running low on faith, can I get an amen?

This is for where life is comin' at ya

Hands up, here's your anthem

If you're having a hard day

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

If you're dealing with heartbreak

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

Keep your head high, keep on fighting

'Cause the pressure makes a diamond

Tomorrow's a new day, yeah

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

When the world is feeling heavy (Yeah)

Another doomsday-news cycle spinnin'

With all the negativity (Yeah)

Don't forget you can shut it off

Try to catch your mind when it runs

Easier said than done

Can I get an amen?

This is for where life is comin' at ya

Hands up, here's your anthem

If you're having a hard day

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

If you're dealing with heartbreak

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

Keep your head high, keep on fighting'

Cause the pressure makes a diamond

Tomorrow's a new day, yeah

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

Tomorrow's a new day

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

Ain't giving up

Ain't giving up

Ain't giving up

If you're having a hard day

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

If you're dealing with heartbreak

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

Keep your head high, keep on fighting

'Cause the pressure makes a diamond

Tomorrow's a new day, yeah

Ain't no way you're giving up, up, up, up, up

Ain't giving up

(Come on)

Ain't giving up

Ain't giving up

(Ain't giving up, no)

Ain't giving up

Writer(s): Tauren G. Wells, Jamie Moore

℗ 2022 Sparrow Records, under exclusive license to Capitol CMG