As the U.S. and the world face a load of uncertainty surrounding the spread of the coronavirus, we are told to limit our contacts with others. But at least we still have some things to comfort us, like the warm sound of Louis Armstrong.
Last week, we had someone try to break into our apartment around 3 a.m. I was already up feeding our baby when I heard a pounding noise in the hallway that kept continuing. So I went to the door and listened, until the person started kicking at our door.
I yelled at the guy through the door, where I soon realized he was drunk and did not live in our building. But he continued to kick our door and others until the police arrived.
Anyway, it turned out that the guy had gone out and gotten extremely drunk in response to some of the news about the coronavirus (reacting to being worried because of what turned out to be inaccurate statements by our president). And he ended up in our neighborhood, where he kicked in two doors of our apartment building.
The point being that while businesses and local leaders are trying to tackle the physical health aspects of the coronavirus and to some extent worrying about the economic impact, this thing is also taking its toll on our mental health. So it is important that each of us take care of each other and ourselves the best we can.
There are ways we can help our neighbors, like making sure elderly neighbors have precious toilet paper until the run on toilet paper and panic buying subsides. We can also give to local food banks that will be needed to help people financially impacted by the closings. One source to find your local food bank is the Feeding America website.
Another way to help ourselves is to take a break from the news, as reporters constantly barrage us with the inevitable growing number of cases. Remember that all of the closures and actions are not designed to stop the spread, which largely be done once we have a vaccine, which will come. But these closures are meant to slow things down so our system can handle the coronavirus until health care officials have a better handle on it.
When you step away from the news, put on an old comforting movie. Or play some music you like. In times like these, we need music that can comfort us.
Louis Armstrong saw a lot of changes and lived through some troubled times in America. But his trumpet and voice broke through the pain and helped us find that joy still exists.
Nowhere is that joy found more clearly than in his performances of “Rockin’ Chair.” Below, Armstrong and Jack Teagarden (vocal and trombone) perform “Rockin’ Chair” in 1957 in New York City with Peanuts Hucko (clarinet), Marty Napoleon (piano), Arvell Shaw (bass), and Cozy Cole (drums). Give it a listen and let your worries subside for a few minutes.
Hoagy Carmichael wrote “Rockin’ Chair” and it was first recorded in February, 1929. Armstrong and Carmichael recorded it in December of that year. Of course, between those dates, the stock market had crashed, and the song gave joy to many as they faced the Great Depression.
My dear old aunt Harriet, in Heaven she be,
Send me sweet chariot, for the end of the trouble I see;
Old rocking chair gets it, judgement day is here;
Chained to my rocking chair.
A year after the above performance, Teagarden and Armstrong performed “Rockin’ Chair” again at The Newport Jazz Festival in 1958. Check it out.
Wash your hands, and take care of yourself.
