Have Fun and Sing a Little!
Most people need to have fun once in awhile. There are so many things that require us to constantly focus on serious issues that often there is very little time left in our days to relax and enjoy the lighter things in life – things that make us laugh, things that thrill us or things that simply warm our hearts.
For most people, it is difficult to break free of the day to day responsibilities and find the time to relax and enjoy life. Sleep is often falsely considered adequate relaxation, yet there is a significant honorably mention to going out and having plain unadulterated fun! In our society, entertainment is taking a lower seat on the totem pole as we gear up for more and more productivity. Of course, it would be far more beneficial and healthy for this type of person to break free of the nagging responsibilities and learn to enjoy their free time.
One way that many people try to compensate for adequate rest and relaxation is through passive activities that require only minor attention. Television, sports, theater, or concerts are all forms of passive activities that involve living in alternative situations to imagine ourselves as the characters we watch. This is often a means to escaping ones own troubles and reducing stress, albeit only for the time spent in this activity. However, it is important for us to also active engage in alternative activities to interact in new situations that will help us to grow as individuals. Perhaps the most exciting and satisfying of these to get off our couches and DO something!
Getting involved in self actualizating activities is easier than most people think. Joining sports teams, going out dancing, playing pool or darts, or learning an instrument are all obvious forms. The big challenge is often to motivate yourself to actually get energy to engage yourself! One really easy activity that you can do, is find a local Karaoke bar and get up and sing! Many people are self conscious of this because they are afraid that they won’t be very good. The most important part however, is that people try new and challenging things. The act of karaoke itself is not the challenge, it is building courage to do it!
Most people however do not do enough pushing of their own potential. It can be quite challenging to get started doing something that will make you feel like you are growing as an individual. The interesting thing is that it will typically become quite addictive and pretty soon you will be wanting to do more and more. It is even contagious and many or your peers will find themselves motivated to do more too.
Maybe it’s time to learn how to play an instrument that you always were intrigued with. Bang on some drums or strum a guitar. Dance like a fool and not care what it looks like. Sing the most beautiful, sappy song you know or a rank song that you can enjoy emitting the loudest primal scream possible to man.
Karaoke is an appropriate part of this discussion as it is a form of fun and entertainment that many people enjoy. Karaoke gives you an opportunity to sing, scream, yodel, or whatever floats your boat. Personally, it is emotionally cathartic and very therapeutic, and for many people it has contributed to times of fun and laughter. It is often surprising how entertaining or amusing some people are – people you never realized were so talented. All people should be applauded for their gifts and that all people are stars in their lives. Opportunity, publicity and promotion creates the chasm between the celebrities and those whose talent remains unknown. I say they are all stars, undiscovered or otherwise. Karaoke gives the undiscovered the opportunity to enjoy and share their talent with those around them.
It is rumoured to have originated in Japan, from the words kara meaning empty, and oke (okesutora) meaning orchestra. Apparently, a performer failed to show at a venue one night where a crowd had gathered for a performance. The owner of the bar was said to have put on a tape of songs and asked whether anyone would get up and perform. The night turned into such a success that the bar began having frequent shows without performers and it soon spread across Japan and later the world.
Technology has changed over the years, allowing people to read the lyrics off in a TV in a time sensitive manner. There are many people you are known as “Karaoke Junkies” that will go regularly to sing and listen on a regular basis. In general, whether you go weekly or once a year, there is always a great amount of laughter and smiles that come from it.
There is a quality of the stage that enlivens people more than any other place. It is getting up in front of people, putting your ego down and simply singing. For those with immense talent (the minority), it gives them a chance to feel like a star for a night and sing over an amplified system where people are actually listening. In any case, it provides a great opportunity to overcome the fear of being in the spotlight and has done some great things for self actualization in many.
So, although Karaoke is a Japanese word that means ‘empty orchestra”, it translates into ‘fun’ for many people all over the world.
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