Monday, February 15, 2010

My City Mondays

Something I'm sure everyone can relate to - regardless of homeland - is the pride one feels when one hears their national anthem.

To be able to belt it out loud and proud with a building full of compatriots is a powerful thing. It can even be a transformative thing, turning the cynical into the heart-proud.

So, when one starts tweaking with what is pure and good and wholesome and don't need no fixing , well...

Just well.

When, at the very opening of Friday's Olympic Opening ceremonies, Canadian jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky started out on her (seemingly) 2 hour adventure in and around the-tune-of-what -could-have-possibly-been-our-national-anthem-but-I'm-not-really-sure, well...

Just well.

I am sure that the decision to slow it up and dance it all over the place was not her decision alone - she had people. And people who have people?

They're the luckiest people. In the world.

Because to begin to atone for this sorry attempt at rousing our nationalism, 16 year old Nikki is also the voice behind my newest earworm.

It is downright miraculous how a woman with an absence of hormones (me, not Nikki) can indeed get so hormonal and squidgey listening to this, but there ya go. I believe.

The song and accompanying video has all sorts of elements - cheddar cheesey elements, in fact - that somehow manage to dig right in there and tug at an old Baroness' heart strings.

Things that get me every damn time, such as:
. someone skating on a frozen lake
. men in tights
. a still sassy 82 year old Barbara Ann Scott, both as a young Canadian figure skating darling and as a modern day arsonist, terrorizing Parliament Hill with her fire stick
. the running of the torch (reminiscent of the man who carries my flame)
. Wayne Gretzky
. Nancy Greene (one of the first skiers I remember watching on tv)
. Inukshuk
. the kickassery of our women's hockey team
. a successful torch lighting (go figure!)
. kids singing
. candlelight
. flying through the air with the greatest of ease

I hear (when I can) that the cure for the common earworm is to diminish its power by sharing it with as many people as possible. Be part of the cure, people:



And as corny as it sounds, I do believe in the power of you and I.

Merry Monday, everyone.

8 comments:

Mental P Mama said...

I am right there with you! Kickassery and all!

Anonymous said...

"squidgey"

Now that is a cool word! Is it like a blissful fidgeting? A squirm that erupts from deep within?

Yeah, I get that. You know U2's "Where the Streets Have No Names?" I get that all squidgey when I hear them do that one live . . .

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

I bet you all are having a jazzy time there right now in the midst of all of this. Pun intended. xoxo

Shelley Jaffe said...

Countess MPM: I will save you a spot on the loveseat up until it's Canada vs. the US - then, I'm afraid, you're on your own, honey!

Count TD: You have the meaning completely down - it's almost onomatopoeia...coined by my dear friend in the UK, who also gave me my 'Baroness von...' years ago.

Shelley Jaffe said...

Countess of TNA: Hardy. Har. Har. Jazzy - funny stuff! (and yes, we are, thank you very much) :)

Anonymous said...

Kickassery rules supreme!

Squidgey... just whoa. You might want to patent that, quick-like. I absolutely love it.

(Say it seven times fast)

Shelley said...

Countess Ti: Sadly, I am afraid I cannot re-coin an already existing word of awesomeness. It's right there, chapter and verse, in the female equivalent of The Bro Code.

I can, however, thank my lucky stars daily that I have a friend with such an amazing vocabulary - imagined or not.

Anonymous said...

Ugh she BUTCHERED our anthem.
I wanted to cry.
Shoulda got mark donally to do it!

 
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