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Perhaps some of you are not like the present author, and do not long for your proverbial “Ship” to “Come In.” Perhaps you’ve already, long ago realized what many of us have yet to learn: that we can choose our lives, and that there are steps that are entirely in our control that can move us closer to the lives we would choose. Perhaps you already live the life you want, daily.
But for the rest of us…
There’s a thought-experiment called “Your Perfect Day” that’s used in goal-planning and job interviews. Let’s do it this weekend: envision what your, personal “perfect” daily routine would be, if you could do whatever you want and money were (for some reason) no object. Take it step-by-step: where (and, if applicable, with whom) would you wake up? What would you do? Meals, of course, would be some part of it; what would you eat, and how would it be prepared? Do you exercise, and if so, how? What do you fill your time with? Where do you go, what (or whom) do you see, and what do you do? Finally, when bedtime comes, how does Your Perfect Day conclude?
Your Prompt: Imagine that your ship has long since come in, and you are in your 1000th day (or thereabouts) of your “perfect days” routine. And, if we know you at all, we suppose that your day includes at least a little singing. Sing for us the song of that day.
Options
It’s good to have options. Here are ways to perhaps make the prompt a bit easier, or ways to go a bit further with it.
Option A: “All I’ve Got Is Today” – For an easier stretch, for this option let’s not put ourselves in this hypothetical day. Who knows how we may feel when it arrives? Instead, let’s think about today, and how it compares (for you) to this hypothetical Perfect Day. Sing your today, whichever day it arrives on, and if it has any kind of relationship to Your Perfect Day, that’s an optional bonus.
Option B: Imperfect Day and That’s Okay – For perhaps a deeper stretch, here’s a more abstract idea for you to sing on. Maybe you have an opinion about this so-called Perfect Day I’m describing. Maybe it’s impossible, or maybe every day is perfect in its own way; maybe your heart is filled with compassion for everyone who feels that their days are miserable, or maybe it’s filled with something else. Whatever your opinion on this concept, sing to get it across to us. Who knows what we may learn from your perspective.
To Contribute
The steps are as follows:
- Step 0: Sign up for a free SoundCloud account here. Join the SSS group.
- Step 1: Record yourself singing the song of your perfect day.
- Step 2: Upload to SoundCloud and post the track to the SSS group.
- Step 3: Listen to and comment on tracks uploaded by your fellow singers. (Play nice!)
Deadline: Your tracks should be uploaded by midnight wherever you are on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.
Length: The length of your finished work should be about 2 to 5 minutes, or however long you need to sing your song.
Description: It would be awesome to include a short description of where and when you sang your piece—and how it felt.
Title/Tag: When uploading to SoundCloud, put “[sss-perfect-day]” in the title of your track. Also include the term “sss-perfect-day” as a tag. This will help us find it.
Group: Once the track is uploaded, click on the “Add to group” button below the waveform and make sure to select the Society for Spontaneous Singing group. (This option will only appear if you have already joined the group! So do that now.)
Linking: You are welcome to include this info in your description:
This track is a reply to “Prompt 67: Your Perfect Day.” More on the Society for Spontaneous Singing at http://singthis.org. You can join the SSS at https://soundcloud.com/groups/society-for-spontaneous-singing
Thank you, sweet singers!