6th May 2009
Slave to the Rhythm

I have a quirk, and perhaps it’s a bit of an OCD-like trait, but I’m a huge slave to rhythm.

No matter what I’m doing, if there’s a rhythm to be had, I’m bound to find it and adhere to it, or ache trying.   If there’s some rhythm being generated and I can’t match whatever I’m doing to it, I feel physical pain as my guts twist against it.    I once again experienced this last night as I was working out on the treadmill and listening to my iPod; I must try to change my stride length and/or speed to match the beats of the music if I at all possibly can, and if not, I’m likely to change the song just to avoid the headache.

Come to think of it, I’ve always been one to like and appreciate rhythm.   From my first experiences in music, I sucked at learning it, but I loved to do it.     I couldn’t tap out a complex rhythm on a drum or a tabletop from a sheet of music, but I always understood the pattern and felt it.   Marching band was a heaven and hell to me as I loved whacking out a march step and keeping strictly to it — despite my never wanting to be involved in the armed forces, if I had, I could have been a mean marcher.     And if it wasn’t for all the cretins that couldn’t keep step for the love of all that’s holy, I would have had a great time.   Folks without rhythm are my personal nails-on-a-chalkboard demon.

I think about how many places in my life rhythm takes hold — construction work (nailing), gardening (hoeing in beat), walking/running/biking/dancing (especially to music), sex (otherwise you look like you’re having a spasm), typing (although it’s a complex pattern), painting (stroke, stroke), boating (see painting), tapping my fingers, and so forth.

What is it about rhythm that drives me so?    I hate heartbeats — I’ve written about that before.    I love music — perhaps that’s the source?    Whatever it is, I find myself drawn to aligning my mind and my body to whatever external or internal (read: music in my head) beats there are to be had.

How about you?   Do you find yourself consumed with rhythm or are you able to walk through life at your own, jagged, uncoordinated pace?  (consequently driving the rest of us stone mad)

P.S. — I hate, hate, HATE typing the word, “rhythm”.   Who thought of THAT spelling?   Srsly.


There are currently 8 responses to “Slave to the Rhythm”

  1. 1 MeghannNo Gravatar (20 comments) said:

    Dude, I so cannot do ANYTHING without some sort of beat, or music, or humming, or just noise. Quiet kills me. But… at least I have the voices in my head to sing to me while I’m typing this. ;)

  2. 2 Sara GNo Gravatar (8 comments) said:

    On the treadmill thing, you can find websites that will categorize songs by bpm. You could probably set up whole playlists of songs with your walking bpm (or ones with a slightly faster or slower bpm for warming up or cooling down) Just a thought.

  3. 3 SaraNo Gravatar (37 comments) said:

    NP quote of the day… “I could have been a mean marcher.”
    For some reason this phrase cracked me up. Love it!

  4. 4 RachelvNo Gravatar UNITED STATES (29 comments) said:

    I think my little Colby is going to be like you. He can find the beat to anything. We noticed as soon as any music comes on, his head starts bobbing. Then we realized the other day, the printer was printing (imagine the sound) and there he was bobbing that head of his. Guess I have a little glimpse of the future with you.

  5. 5 JuliaNo Gravatar AUSTRALIA (34 comments) said:

    I don’t know that I’m quite so much of a slave to the beat as you are, but I am a fan of rhythm (though, agreed, not the spelling). If I’m walking someplace and I need to get there fast, I’m more likely to have a speedy stride if I pop in my iPod- fave album for walking to my previous job was The Killers.
    And of course I dance, which is so much easier for me than some people because I have rhythm. Unless I get a partner who’s just behind/ahead of the beat, which drives me mental. I think I come by my rhythm from being constantly around music since I was tiny. My mom loves music and she’s a beautiful singer. I sang a lot as a kid, and played in a brass band for a few years. I was usually playing the 2nd part rather than the melody, so coming in on time was very important!
    I think I’m slightly more melody-propelled than a rhythm junkie, but it is hard for me to ignore music in my atmosphere.

  6. 6 MarieNo Gravatar (116 comments) said:

    I hate it when I’m walking in a store and I unintentionally walk to the beat of the music. I’m afraid someone is going to notice :P I have to adjust my stride because it makes me feel like an idiot.

  7. 7 The SisterNo Gravatar UNITED STATES (24 comments) said:

    Learning to run to music without running to the beat for a muscially inclined person is very difficult. Thats why I’ve learned to listen to the music, but not focus on it…then, you can find a comfortable pace that is much better. I do this by finding an object to focus on, but then end up glazing out and thinking about happenings in my day…then I’m not so focused on the beat. Don’t know if this will help you, but…..thought I’d give you my input anyway!

    PS – Did it bother you to hear Kes’ heartbeat on sonograms?

  8. 8 Nathan PralleNo Gravatar UNITED STATES (151 comments) said:

    The Sister: Actually, I wrote a post about the heartbeats from Keston: The Tell-Tale Heart

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