Lessons Learned from Karaoke

Categorized | Jenni Hammitt, culture

Lessons Learned from Karaoke

Posted on 27 June 2008 by Jenni Hammitt

Last night I was sitting alone in the DJ booth, I had this totally introspective moment. Sitting in bar listening to some stranger sing mediocre karaoke is not usually the place where people have deep thoughts, but stranger things have happened. As I sat there waiting for the song to end, my mind was flooded with lessons learned. I’m not sure if anyone else can relate to the specific situation, but they are lessons we can all learn from.

Lesson 1
Life happens. Had you told me a year ago this would be my life, I would not have believed you. I thought I had my life all figured out. I had a plan and goals. However, things didn’t turn out quite as I expected. My plans didn’t exactly pan out, but that path led me to meeting a Karaoke DJ and his girlfriend. After some prodding, I started singing a song or two at his Wednesday night shows. Then we started going to his Thursday night show. I’m not great singer, but I’m not tone deaf. If I have the right song I sound pretty decent. I began to meet a few other people at the shows, but I was still so wrapped up in my life I really only still knew the DJ and his girl friend beyond just their names. Initially, I only thought they liked me because of the guy I was spending my time with. However, when that gentleman left me behind, they were true friends to me. What started off as just going to one or two karaoke shows a week because I had no where else to go, became my nightlife Thursday-Saturday. Soon I had all these new friends, and I was even helping out in the DJ booth. Now I can’t imagine my life with out these people.

Lesson 2
Not judging a book by it’s cover has a whole new meaning. I was never all about pegging people by what they look like, but his just hit that whole idea home. If you were to look at us, I’m sure this friend group wouldn’t make sense. We run the gambit from quiet and reserved perfectionist (me), to redneck, to just plain wild and crazy extrovert. I know that is human nature to connect with people more like us, but honestly I think our diversity is part of what makes us work. Where one person has a weakness, another has strength. If you were to look at us individually.

Lesson 3
Guard your friendship circle closely. No matter who you are, there are going to be people who want to be your friend or get close to your friends for all the wrong reasons. In my case it is usually people trying to get close to the DJs. These may be girls who think they are rock stars, and want their attention. They may be people who don’t sing, but like the attention they get from being up front. They want in the inner circle for all the wrong reasons. This cracks me up because really, of you big goal is to be well known in some bar in the Northern Indianapolis Suburbs…you have more issues than I’m going to get into. I have actually had girls ask me how I “got in.” Um…well even I’m not sure. I’m nice to people. The DJs had me sit up there a few times so I didn’t have to sit alone, and while I was up there I learned how to run the software. The rest just happened. Friendships are things you should not have to work your way into, they should just happen without underlying intentions.

Lesson 4
Don’t let what other people say bother you. People will get jealous from time to time. I’m not exactly sure anyone would be jealous of me, but I have heard some interesting rumors and been accused of laughable things. These are things that anyone who really knows me would know it is garbage. At first I was offended, now I just ignore it or at least get a laugh out of it. Once again attacking me because I get to be a DJ or sit in the DJ booth with my friends is just a little sad and petty. I get to DJ because I learned to help out in the booth and now I am one of the people who work in the booth at times. Sometimes I get to sit up front with my friends. It is usually because there is no one else for me to sit with at the moment. Really, there is no scandal there.

Lesson 5
Just being yourself works! If the people are really worth your time and energy, they will see and appreciate the real you. If you have to change or not be yourself to impress people, it isn’t worth it. Once again, I’m not sure why my friends love me like they do. I’m not sure how I fell into this friendship. It just happened, and I am very glad it did. Yes it will still hurt when you are rejected by people, but if they don’t get you then they don’t deserve you.

Tonight will be another Karaoke night. I will hang out with my friends, laugh, and have fun. At the end of the night I’ll be sitting at Steak-n-Shake with a diet vanilla coke, I’ll be thankful that I have this new family to call my own.

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