I’ve never been much of a trendsetter. Okay, in the tenth grade, I bought a pair of these awesome pedal pushers from that store Wet Seal, and that was way before capri pants were a thing in my tiny middle-of-nowhere high school. But that’s maybe it. I would never make it as a “cool hunter.” Just not cool enough.
However, I’m starting a new trend. Singing in public. Actually, this is less of an alert, and more of a plea to join me so I look less foolish.
Let me explain: my little guy has a habit of losing his shit in his stroller about 3 blocks from home. I swear he has one of those dog collars that shocks him when we get within spitting distance of our apartment, because never fail, he starts crying, which quickly turns into screaming.
You may not like the sound of a baby crying, but to a mother, her child’s cry is not just irritating – it’s biologically stressful. Your cortisol levels spike, your heart races, your palms sweat. I don’t like this three block screaming ritual. It is an unpleasant part of my day.
Lately, there is one thing that will prevent a near-home meltdown: singing. If I start singing to Teddy, preferably as loud as I can, he will smile and be appeased for as long as I keep belting out the tunes. If I stop, the crying starts.
Grown people generally don’t sing in public, unless they are in a musical, where every event necessitates a song. People stare at me. I don’t really mind that much. They would stare at me if I was pushing a screaming child, too. But it is a little weird to be a grown-up, singing as I amble down the street.
So, you could take it up too. And if people asked, you could send them to this blog post, and they would realize you are way trendier than they are. Or you could say that you’ve been watching a lot of Glee or something. Either way, I would feel a little more normal.
Need some inspiration? Teddy’s favorites are the songs from Elizabeth Mitchell’s You are My Little Bird, as well as Oh, What a Beautiful Morning and some Simon and Garfunkel. But please don’t feel limited by his musical tastes. Anything goes when it comes to this new summer trend.
There you have it. New trend. Let the singing begin.