I saw Jann Arden perform to a packed house at Massey Hall last night. It’s hard to say what I enjoyed more, the memory-lane revisit of all those 90s hits or her hilarious off-the-cuff riffing with the audience between songs.
For her finale—“Good Mother”—she got the audience to stand up. Then she called on us all to speak out for and protect marginalized voices. “This is a song about being yourself,” she reminded the crowd. “You have and deserve the right to be yourself. And so does everybody else.” It was a powerful finish to the show, and very true to its star.
Franz Kafka said that “paths are made by walking.” Jann Arden forges her own path, and encourages the rest of us to do the same. I used to think of her as just a terrific songwriter with killer pipes, but as she’s gotten older Jann has become more diverse in her creative output, more outspoken, and generally more of a badass.
It all seems to come down to a fearlessness, an attitude of comfort with uncertainty, a willingness to give it a whirl. That’s what I admire about Jann Arden now. And her singing voice, well it’s just gorgeous gravy on top. I hope you enjoy this week’s podcast interview.
This week’s unknown:
I spent most of the past couple of weeks on an island in the Ottawa River near the Quebec border with an old friend; an annual, and much-cherished, tradition since she was widowed a few years ago. She is an old friend in both senses of the word: someone I have known and loved since I was a young child, and someone who is an elder in my community.
My friend is an inspiration—vigorous and vital, a model of how to age. At 87 she continues to lug her own groceries, lift anchor and pilot her little tin boat across choppy waters, spend summers independently on an island. I often wonder whether I’ll be lucky enough to age so well. Who knows?
There are many unknowns baked into our time together. I catch myself wondering what might happen—to either of us—over the next twelve months. What if for some reason I’m not able to return here next year? My friend might suffer a fall over the winter, or start to lose comfort with the idea of spending her summer so remotely.
Then I recall thinking similar thoughts last year. And then I remember that whenever I dwell on the uncertainty of the future, I miss the preciousness of what is happening right here, right now. The sunsets filtered through pine boughs off the cottage verandah, the shape of my friend’s hands buttering her toast, the easy comfort of our late-night conversations; how peaceful it feels to be in her company.
Note to self: instead of clinging to the joy of these experiences and wanting to ensure our tradition lasts, I have to let it just be what it is for right now.
This week’s Love Affair:
A proud vocabulary nerd, this week’s love affair is a new word I learned recently.
Seems like the right time to be adding this one to our vocabulary.
“Protean” feels like an important word not to just know but to live. Versatility is an essential skill for handling unknowns. Having a protean attitude sets us up for adaptability—how we are able to respond to change, pivot, handle what comes at us. The alternative is stasis, or a fixation on how things should be, instead of facing them for what they are and responding accordingly.
Protean, I salute you. A dandy word and a handy life skill for navigating uncertainty!
Onward—something to consider:
Like most of the crowd at Roland Garros this weekend, I am a huge fan of Coco Gauff, America’s young tennis darling. Gauff is bottled lightning—composed on the exterior, full of power and electrifying promise on the inside. So I was a little surprised to hear her mention self-doubt in her acceptance speech on Saturday, after winning her very first French Open. Having lost the first set, she admitted to wondering whether she could do this. But then she credited Tyler, the Creator for some inspirational lyrics that help keep her mind strong and confident: “If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I must be lying.”
Even the superstars and the podium-toppers feel fear along the way.
Is there a time when you adopted a protean attitude to handle a big change or some fear-filled unknown? I’d love to hear your story.
Thanks as always for reading, for listening and for staying in touch
Gill
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