Day 39 ~ Solo and Sober

Day 39 ~ Solo and Sober

Feb 8, 2014

My first: I sang karaoke all by myself, solo and sober.

I went to a trivia night with some friends and had a great time. I told them that afterwards I was planning to go to the neighborhood bar and sing karaoke by myself because I had never done that before. I always sang with a partner and always after having a few/many drinks. Tonight it was going to be solo and sober. They, of course, decided to join me and witness my “first”.

My usual song of choice is Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson.  My friend, Cami, suggested that I sing another song that I like, Only Girl in the World by Rihanna. I was game for anything at this point and asked the DJ if he had this one. He checked and said unfortunately no. Oh well, I guess two firsts are enough for one night…karaoke all by myself and with no alcohol.

I was thinking about what I was about to do, but didn't really have that “butterflies in the stomach” feeling. I had done some performing in the past with my comical “bag lady” and “frustrated stripper” gigs back in 2003. Heck, I am a seasoned performer…but this time without the guise of make-up and costumes.

My turn was up and my friends were ready with phone cameras in hand. I was the star! Well, let’s just say I was the one with the mic in hand.  I sang the song that I had sung many times, but always with a friend, a sister, or whoever was willing to go up there with me. As I was singing, I noticed that so many people in the bar were not even paying attention. Well, let’s face it… I am not Celine Dion on stage! But this meant so much to me! They did not know my story or understand my journey. Ok, Mary, don’t take it personally. This is about me rejuvenating and living my life…not about them and their attention spans. After all, they were all probably pretty much drunk and unaware of their rudeness.

My friends (old and new) were the BONUS. They were all SO supportive about my doing this tonight and also about my whole year of doing “firsts”! Thank you to Kelly, Mel and Cami, Sue and Leann, Christy and Laura, Rick and Harold and Tina. They were the amazing ones. So, yes, I sang solo tonight…but I was not alone.