“Are my ears on straight, is my nose in place, do I have a cute expression on my face, are my blue eyes bright, do I look all right to be taken home Christmas Day?” Does anyone remember that song? Childhood memories, how precious.

I was recently sitting out the front with my dog Bella at home, eating my porridge and this song came into my head. It’s a little bit ridiculous how our mind spits things out.

I was one of three children — a younger brother and an older one — and I used to sing around the house all the time. It annoyed the crap out of them. When I got married I kept singing, which annoyed my husband as well. I didn’t think my voice was that bad, but when the children came along and my singing annoyed them too, I stopped.

My husband and I moved to Flaxton, a rural locality in the Sunshine Coast Region of Queensland, when I was 48. I’d met some Bohemian people who invited me to a Kirtan (chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments) during a full moon. It was held at a friend’s house just around the corner from where we lived.

It was a time when we celebrate the full moon with song, music, sharing food, conversation and kinship. They had lots of percussion instruments and I grabbed the African drum. Well do you think anyone could take it from me that night? No way. I let it rip. It was the first time in years that I sang my heart out and beat the daylights out of that drum.

When it was time to share supper, I had to go to the toilet and had a bit of an upset tummy. I’d come out, sit down and go back into the loo. This happened for the rest of the night. I was so embarrassed, but those beautiful people applauded and said it was a deep cleanse/purge and their acceptance and understanding validated and made me feel special.

From that moment on, I decided, subconsciously or consciously, to sing spontaneously. Mind you, I don’t walk around in public singing my lungs out.

I understand now that it’s so wrong to suppress our heart and soul’s desire. Music is a form of expression and self love.

Let’s let’s do it today. United we sing!

Do you like to sing? Was there a time where you stopped doing something you loved because it embarrassed a loved one?

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