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Coming home from a speaking event a few months ago, I was listening to Alec Baldwin’s podcast Here’s the Thing. As he and guest Sarah Jessica Parker chatted about her acting career, the airplane started to shake a little.
Normal airplane shaking, yes, but enough shaking that I looked around just to make sure no one was breathing into a paper bag or anything.
All seemed well until the shaking morphed into side-to-side swaying and this time I looked for a flight attendant like a kindergartner on the first day of school.
Is mommy worried?! Is this a scary thing that is happening to me? No? Okay I’m okay you’re okay we’re all okay. Okay?
Well “mommy” looked okay in the face but then she proceeded to back up the drink cart even though half the plane had not yet been served.
Where is she going?!
Serving drinks means everything is okay on an airplane like having the TV on keeps the robbers from breaking in at home (anyone?) But she kept backing the cart up to the front of the plane just as the captain made the announcement that we will be experiencing some turbulence and instructed the flight attendants to stop drink service.
I would like to point out this is precisely the time when passengers need drink service but this is beside the point.
Around this time, I glanced back at my assistant Traci who was sitting in the seat behind me and she mouthed are you okay? All I could manage in response was a wide-eyed stare, at which point we both started silently planning our own funeral services.
Through all of this, Alec and Sarah Jessica were continuing their conversation in my earbuds, one that had been previously interesting to me but now seemed completely! and! entirely! irrelevant!
I frantically stopped the podcast and stumbled through my music library on my phone, clicking the first song I could find.
Baby it’s Cold Outside – I’m sorry, I don’t have the luxury of listening to your cute, creepy duet, Ella & Friends.
Taylor Swift – Don’t make me laugh.
Islands in the Stream – Are you kidding me? This is an EMERGENCY.
Nothing was right until I finally found Jenny & Tyler and started to breathe again.
It was in this moment that I realized I needed to be more prepared next time. In moments of potential panic, I have very specific requirements for the kind of music that is allowed to sing to me in my ears.
It was time to create an official Turbulence Playlist. I decided every song on the playlist has to have at least one of 3 things:
The song gives me hope.
The song makes me happy.
The song reminds me of home.
Yours may have different requirements. But for mine, we’ll call it the hopeful – happy – homey trifecta.
With those three filters in place, I created a Turbulence Playlist and here is where I share it with you.
My Hopeful + Happy + Homey Turbulence Playlist
See the Conqueror – Jenny & Tyler (Hope)
He Will Give the Weary Strength – Ellie Holcomb (Hope)
Far Kingdom – The Gray Havens (Hope)
The Sower’s Song – Andrew Peterson (Hope)
Home – Phillip Phillips (Happy, Home)
My Father’s Daughter – Jewel (Happy, Home)
Can’t Outrun Your Love – Ellie Holcomb (Hope)
Everything Moves But You – Christa Wells (Hope)
You Got Out – Lily & Madeleine (Happy)
God of Us – Shaun Groves (Hope)
Up On a Mountain – The Welcome Wagon (Happy, Home)
Deep Deep – Zach Winters (Happy, Hope)
Goodbye Boy Wonder – Meager Fare (Home)
Ho Hey – Lennon + Maisy Stella (Happy)
I Choose You – Sara Bareilles (Happy)
As it turns out, this playlist comes in handy even when I’m safely on the ground. You don’t have to be 30,000 feet up to experience turbulence in your life. During those times of uncertainty and overwhelm, I love having a curated list of songs to remind me of truth through hope, happiness, and reminders of home.
What about you? What songs would you include on your own Turbulence Playlist?
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PS – Here are some of the songs in an iTunes playlist. Thanks for making that, Jennifer!
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