You never know where or when your next inspiration will hit you.
It could be while you're getting into bed (which annoyingly seems to be the case a lot of times) or when you meet somebody with an incredible story. It could be something that you saw, like the simple humane act of somebody buying a hot dinner for a homeless man on the street.
My inspiration, which I hope will stick, came out of nowhere.
I had just gotten done with my exam and I was walking back to the train station with my friend. She decided to duck into her favourite coffee shop and proceeded to stand in line while I browsed their fresh food rack for something that would 'tickle my fancy.'
I didn't even realise it but I was tapping my foot to the music playing overhead without even really listening to it; and the guy next to me was bobbing his head and mouthing the lyrics. The song was giving me the good kind of shivers and I immediately whipped out my phone and turned on Shazaam so that I could know the name of the song and spend my train ride home, listening to it on repeat.
This was one of those times where all these technology advancements didn't bother me at all since it was helping serve a purpose rather than taking me away from living my life like so much of technology does today.
Anyway, I got the song. I downloaded it. I promptly forgot about it till I got home and randomly started humming the melody, mentally kicking myself for having wasted a train ride where I could have listened to some good music. I mean, music always sounds better when you're on the move rather than sitting down you know?
The song is called "Losing Sleep" and it's by Edwyn Collins; the man behind Orange Juice and one of those classic songs that went viral called "Girl Like You".
I couldn't stop listening to the song, the music was catchy and soulful and his voice was simple and endearing. I ended up downloading the official video since the audio download wasn't working on my phone. I noticed something strange while watching the video, the way he was singing was so precise, like he had to make the effort to enunciate.
Now, I love Music. I think there's nothing like it in the world and when a song hits me, it hits me BAD. I become obsessed with knowing everything related to that song, right down to the meaning behind the lyrics just because I can.
So, I saw a random comment by a youtuber on his video that said something along the lines of, "And to think this man has battled such a harsh illness and come back..."
I googled Edwyn Collins. I heard a couple of his old songs and realised my grandfather had made me listen to them when I was a kid; I had loved his music.
Then I found out his story. How he collapsed after having two strokes. How he lost his memory, the ability to speak, move and be himself again. How he could speak four phrases, one of them being "The possibilities are endless". How he basically had to learn to talk again, walk again like a toddler. And how, the one part of him that didn't go away, was the music.
How sad and amazing is that?
Really, when you think about it, how much of our lives do we waste complaining about what we can't do? Complaining despite the fact that we have the health and the capacity to do it. You are what stands in your way; I've honestly come to believe that in the past year.
Edwyn Collins got back on his feet, he recorded another album and another one and he's coming out with a third one. It wasn't about the fame, it was about his genuine love for the music. He's still paralyzed from one side of his body, he still has trouble speaking and it doesn't matter.
If that's not inspiring, then what is?
