Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

In 2007 I was deeply obsessed with the TV show “Lost”. In a particularly fun episode during season 3 (#10, “Tricia Tanaka Is Dead”), Hurley discovered (with Vincent’s help) an old vehicle lying on its side buried in a remote part of the jungle. When he & a couple of the other guys flipped it on to its wheels, it was easy to see it was a circa 1970’s VW van, similar to the one Kevin Costner drove in “Field Of Dreams”. Hurley was convinced he could get the van started with some help. So he climbed into the driver’s seat, Charlie rode shotgun and Sawyer & Jin gave the vehicle a push. Miraculously it shifted into first gear much to the delight of all four men. And when the van started, an 8-track in the dash radio started playing today’s song. If there was any doubt as to what decade the vehicle originated from, that perfect bit of nostalgia was the only clue you needed.

The show took it one step further by playing a gorgeous symphonic version of that track as the men returned to camp. The song was by the band Three Dog Night who were all over the radio in the 1970’s with songs like “Joy To The World”, “One”, “Just An Old Fashioned Love Song” & “Black & White”, to name a few. I cannot say they were one of my favorite groups, but their songs were different enough to pique my interest. What made their sound unique were the three lead singers: Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron & Cory Wells. The one song by them that I adore was sung by Wells, who was born 80 years ago today on February 5, 1941. And when it started playing in that van during that “Lost” episode, it was a fabulous salute to a great decade & a great song.

“Wash away my sorrow
Wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala“.

Top: A few snapshots from the “Lost” episode with the van: Charlie & Hurley (top), The four men driving around in the van (middle) & Sawyer & Jin running towards the working van. Bottom (L-R): Chuck Negron, Danny Hutton and Cory Wells of Three Dog Night circa 1972. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Three Dog Night: “Shambala” (1973, written by Daniel Moore).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.