Motivating Factors

I have a secret that I am semi-embarrased to admit, but for the sake of this post, and because of my supernatural high self-esteem, I will admit my shamed past to you, and reach into my black hole of a closet to reveal yet another skeleton from my past.

For full effect, download my dishonor from iTunes and play at maximum volume throughout the duration of this post. The paragraphs below will give you the secret song plain and simple.

To paint the picture, I take you back to my senior year of high school a decade ago, when I was wandering the halls of Roy High with a few acne bumps and a squeaky post-puberty voice. I was a tall kid back in the day, and because of my height I used to play basketball for the team. I enjoyed it, and before every game we would all pull out our CD players, (yes kids, that's right, a CD player) and listen to some kind of motivating music to get us pumped up for the game. Most guys listened to hard core Rock and Roll, or some deafening rap. Eminem had just released the Marshall Mathers LP that year, and so most of the ballers were boogying to "The Real Slim Shady".

It was at this point when myself and a fellow big man, who shall be known as Arnold the Beekeeper, used to listen to the same song over and over again to get us "pumped up" for the contest that night. Again, I'm not proud to admit this transgression, but for the sake of an amusing post, here goes.

We would exchange rhythmic glances at each other while our burned CD's rattled off in unison the same song that we had on repeat and would listen to over, and over, and over again. That inspirational ballad that had us hooked and gave us the drive to perform well on the court that night was the song, "This One Goes Out To You" by the Backstreet Boys.

Go ahead, get your laughing out of the way. It's ok. I'm used to it. I am now open with my dishonor and am able to talk about my past transgressions.

Swamp Thing: "Hi, my name is Swamp Thing, and I have a problem. I used to listen to teenage boy bands in the locker room to get me pumped up before a basketball game."

AAA Crowd: "Hi, Swamp Thing!"

Swamp Thing: "I also sweat profusely. Hence the blogalias. I know. I have issues."

AAA Crowd: "We all do Swamp Thing. Except for the sweating part."

Laugh all you want, but for some reason, that song was one of the most inspiring, most motivating, most arousing, ok, wait, maybe I shouldn't use the word arousing in this context, not that there's anything wrong with that...

Uh, where was I at...Oh yeah, embarrassed motivating indignity that I hang my head in shame over every time I hear it on my iPod. And yes, the song is still on one of my inspirational playlists. Don't hate. The point of this entire disgraceful recounting is to illustrate how each of us has something that we hold on to for motivation to do something in our lives. Whether it's a quote from a movie, an improv proverb given by a dying relative, or a group of five metrosexual teen tenors in unison, we all have something that gives us a drive to keep going, to keep getting up for more, to keep rolling out of bed every morning.

Life sure can be a sweeping croquet mallet between the incisors on a consistent basis, but maybe, just maybe we all have a metaphorical Backstreet Boys song on repeat that can help get us through whatever swift kick between the legs we have in store for us next. I think by this point I really should stop making uncomfortable references to male body parts mixed in with a Backstreet Boys song as the soundtrack.

Don't ask me where the rest of this post is going. For the record, it's a little after midnight and I just needed some solid therapy of writing on whatever random topic sprung into my head. (Hence the blog title) Add to the fact that my nourishment for the day has been 4 hours of sleep and 5 and a half Mt. Dew Amps, I need to hit the sack pretty soon here. And no, I will not use the Backstreet Boys to sing me to sleep.