I read a great article that I also posted to Facebook about love, so you may have already read it, but I wanted to mull it over a bit this morning with you. The article was about our present state of high stress and fear during the pandemic. It said that hIstorical philosophy and religion teach that love drives out fear. I’ve always believed that love is the most important thing in our lives - both love for others and love for ourselves. Science is now also telling us that love is the answer to our current stress and fear. Living in a fearful or distrustful state produces chemicals in the amygdala in our brains like cortisol and adrenaline that lead to more stress and fear. But we have a natural regulator of the amygdala called oxytocin that is produced when we experience love. It actually inhibits the amygdala to react to stressful stimulus. The article pointed to a few things you can do to increase love in your life like telling your loved ones your fears, telling someone you love them (both someone you know and someone you don’t really know), and showing love to your enemies. All of these things can increase the love in your life and drive out the fear. I practice spreading joy and love because I feel it is my purpose in life, and it’s something I can give that has meaning in other people's lives. Secretly I believe that love is actually a force that goes all the way down to the quantum level, but that’s a story for another day. So give the article a read and let me know what you think. How to Fight Fear With Love - The Atlantic - https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/07/how-fight-fear-love/614227/
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What have I been up to?
I had several outdoor shows for my seniors last week. One of them was close timing with a really big storm that moved in right as I was packing and loading my car. It was exciting!
Thursday was a blast doing John Denver songs on Facebook. There were so many shared memories of moments with John and his music in the chat and in the songs. It was an honor to celebrate his life and music.
Saturday my niece got married with a small group in attendance and the rest of us tuning in on Zoom. I pre-recorded a couple songs they used in addition to other songs from other friends. It was very special, and I wish them well as they start their life as a married couple!
Sunday was my weekly Facebook concert, and it was a doozy! The requests were all over the board, and the fun was flowing in great measure. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy spending time playing music with friends.
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What am I up to this week?
Today, Tuesday, and Thursday I have online and outdoor shows for my seniors. I know I won’t be able to do these when the weather cools too much to be outside again since the virus is still raging, so I’m really cherishing the chance to see these folks and cheer them as much as I can.
Thursday at 7:00 pm mountain time I’m doing a Facebook Live concert featuring the music of James Taylor. I’ve been doing James’ music since the mid 1970s, and I have always felt a kinship with his intricate guitar playing and simple melodies. Please tune in if you’d like to hear some JT - facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/photos-videos.
Saturday I’m doing an online concert for the former guests and staff of the Don K Guest Ranch where I played for almost a decade in the 1990s. It’s going to be an afternoon show so all the folks from across the pond can tune in. You’re welcome to tune in, but it will be tailored to the conversation of music of the Don K folks.
Sunday at 7:00 pm mountain time I’m doing my weekly Facebook Live Show with requests and favorites. I never plan a theme for these shows, but we always have a good time chatting and doing songs for all over creation. It’s always a good time. Please tune in if you can - facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/photos-videos.
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That’s it for this week. I’m still mulling over the above paragraph about love and how we can use it to be happier and better humans to each other. Be good and be safe!
Best always,
Tom
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Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing a Facebook Live Concert of James Taylor songs
Where: facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/photos-videos
When: Thursday, July 23, 7-8:15 pm mountain time
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing a Facebook Live Concert from my home
Where: facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/photos-videos
When: Sunday, July 26, 7-8:15 pm mountain time