What are you waiting for?
Over the years I wrote dozens of songs that I sang silently for myself or for my partner. A voice in me kept saying, “I don’t have time to record this.”, “I don’t have the money to record this.”, “I’m not ready.”, “It’s not good enough” , “I’m not good enough.” etc. etc.
Until I became so on edge at the beginning of the corona time when two acquaintances of mine died from the consequences of corona. And because of what started going on around me and in the world, I started to think, When there is so much at stake, what are you waiting for? Go live and share your love for music! Now or never!
Cover song
Never before have I dared to record a cover song, because I don’t want to imitate anyone, until suddenly at the beginning of the corona era an adaptation of Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You” by none other than bass player Franklin Heilijgers was sent my way. “Hey Susan, would you like to perform this song?” It was sometime in 2004 that I once played my music with him, after that we didn’t see each other for years. I did not see it coming and it was actually not planned at all … But something in me said: “Susan, say YES!” And so it happened that I suddenly, without purpose, was recording very spontaneously in my studio and that’s how this adaptation of our hand was born.
Franklin: Thank you 1000 times for urging me to start recording again!
Forgive Yourself
The lyrics to Tracy’s song are very dear to me:
“Forgive me
Is all that you can’t say
Years gone by and still
Words don’t come easily
Like forgive me forgive me ”
I forgive myself for letting a voice in me be so hard on myself. Why would I wait for years to come? Staying around for years and not doing what you would really like to do? Why should I keep my creations to myself? And if there is no money, there will be a way to bring it into reality. Just do it and if it disappoints you will get up again!
And so I hope for you that you will just do it! Whatever it is. What are you waiting for?
I wish everyone in these times to have confidence in yourself, in your health and in your inexhaustible courage. And with that, trust in each other. Forgive yourself and thereby forgive each other.
