~Harmonize with me~
Last Wednesday, I went to see one of my good friends, James, acting in The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). He, along with the only two other gentlemen in the production, Dale and Neil, were fabulous. I went alone, and waited outside the stage door after the performance. There, I met up with Greg, who had driven Mach One with his hair on fire to get back from Toronto for the show, but had not even been close. We all agreed to move on over to our local pub for karaoke night.

James has a tremendous voice. James is a tremendous person. I'm a big fan of James.

He sings Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me sweeter than Elton himself. I like to sit off to the side, voyeur that I am, singing harmony to myself. On Wednesday, that tendency got me to thinking:

I am a stronger singer when I'm backing up someone else. My vocal qualities quiver and shake when I'm not sharing the spotlight. All eyes are on me and I'm sure to choke. My tone goes off. I don't enjoy myself. Put me beside someone, and I revel in creating beautiful harmonies. I linger on the high notes, proud I'm doing something to add depth and colour to someone else's voice.

Is it a self-esteem issue? Does it speak volumes about my inability to stand, alone and vulnerable, on the stage of life? Or is it more like my need to contribute and be recognized as a valuable member of some team? Do I like to make harmony because it sounds good to my ear, or because it encompasses my need in this life to be liked, accepted, have everything run smoothly?