Songs & Stories: Halfway Down The Stairs

Hey there, Cadre. How are you? It's a double header for me today. I had my Cadre today, this morning. Now, coming back with my buddy the Piano here this afternoon. You watch Ms. Shannon Paul's livestream a little bit ago. I hope you did. It was divine. Is your smoke detector going off in there? If it is, kind of makes sense. There's a lot going on right now this time of year. Robert Cadre, Admin. How are you, brother? Nice to see you, my friend. I hope you're doing good. But if that smoke detector is going off just as Ms.

Shannon was talking about, or if you're finding yourself kind of running empty on your 2024 and you're hoping for something to fill your cup, know that you signing in here right now is a really good sign that you're onto something. We always hope that you are good, but even if you're not, guess what? You're in the right place. Jules. Four sun emojis. That fills my cup. A juuls sun emoji is something I'm always looking for. I don't know, Robert, your screen name's got a little something something it.

I enjoy it. I appreciate it. Why? Because it reminds me that Cadre is filled with. With people. People who are making the Cadre sphere come to life. And Robert, Jules, Speak Wonder. You are all a part of that. Well, hey, you may be wondering why I'm sitting at my piano often on Thursdays. It's been a little while, but I do a. A live stream called Family Ties. Right? We talk about caregiving on Thursdays. And I am the one millennial in my family with six Gen X siblings, a baby boomer mother, and a Greatest Generation father.

Sounds like the making of a sitcom television show, doesn't it? Hence the title, Family Ties. Well, there's something about those 20 to 24 minute episodes of all those great sitcoms that we watch and we laugh and we enjoy, but if all of a sudden we put a mirror in front of our face and we go, oh, my gosh, am I living in the middle of a situational comedy? Yeah, you know what? You may be doing that Newfie lover. Sue, how are you, my friend? It's been a little while. Let me know how you're doing. It's nice to see you.

Well, like I say, I'm the one millennial, so I kind of age a little bit older than I actually am. So I have a song for you from the Muppet show. The original one, not the one from the 90s, which is actually also pretty wonderful. But here's a song from the original. Then we'll talk about it. Halfway down the stairs is a stair where I sit There isn't any other stair quite like it I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top. So this is the stair where I always. Halfway up the stairs Isn't up and isn't down hey, Shannon.

It isn't in the nursery it isn't in the town and all sorts of funny thoughts run round my head it isn't really anywhere it's somewhere else instead Big finish. It isn't really anywhere it's somewhere else instead Sitting in the middle of the stairs it's not anywhere, but it's somewhere else. You know, this song is sung by Kermit's nephew. I'm gonna share in the community feed right after we're done here. The COVID of the original sheet music of this song. And you're gonna see this little puppet, this little, little puppet on the front cover.

Kermit's nephew Robin, is who sings the song. So imagine this littlest of puppets. Actually, I have my little dragon stuffed animal here. Imagine this little dragon singing this song, saying, hey, I sit in the middle of the stairs. Why? Because, like you just said, newfie lover sue, you're okay. You're not great. You're not as bad as you could be, but you're somewhere in the middle. And how often does somewhere in the middle feel like nowhere or somewhere else? You know, I get really nostalgic when I go back to the old sitcoms or the old kind of variety hours like the Muppet Show.

And I think and feel all the things whenever I watch the video of this little puppet going, hey, here's where I am right now. I guess something really badass and bold about that. To know where you are and to consider that where that place is is somewhere else from where the world tells you you're supposed to be. Like, there are the days that you have all your s*** together. You may not admit it, but it's true. When you get really quiet, you go, yeah, I got this. But you don't want to be too big at it, but you're perfectly fine.

Churn. When everything falls apart. What about the 90% of the days when you just kind of. You're doing your best, but you go, I'm just doing my best. You don't actually honor that. That is also somewhere where there's power and potency. You know, I. I move my parents down to Florida every six months. And they move them back up to Minnesota every six months. And I moved them down the week before Thanksgiving this year. And I'll tell you, I'm kind of over them. Like, I'm kind of hurt by them, the way they're existing in this world, the decisions they're making.

I'm kind of just frustrated, and it didn't feel as good as it often does. When I get to have this time with them, it's just made me feel. Blech. It'd be really easy for me to go throw it away. But this isn't anywhere. This is somewhere else. I've never been here before. There's power in that. There's liberation in that. There's freedom in that. There's opportunity for growth in that. So in Those mucky middles, Dr. Christina often talks about the messy middle, maybe. Rather than writing off the messy middle, consider what situational comedy teaches us.

And it's for 22 to 24 minutes. There's story and energy and drama and humor and love within those moments. So sing with me, y'all. Sing with me about being halfway down the stairs or halfway up the stairs or sitting in your mess. And consider, where are you right now? It may not be anywhere, but that's definitely somewhere else. Halfway down the stairs is the stair where I sit. Bravo, Robin. To say I'm gonna sit where I am. There isn't any other stair quite like it. Yeah. He's not saying it's the best place, but he's saying it's very unique and there's something there.

I'm not at the bottom. I'm not at the top. So this is the stair where I always stop. Halfway down the stairs isn't up and isn't down. It isn't in the nursery. It isn't in the town. Right. Maybe you go, I'm at home or I'm at work. I'm with or I'm without. I'm good or I'm bad. I'm at the beginning or I'm at the end. It's not one of those places. And all sorts of funny thoughts run round my head. Mental Health 101. We may be physically still, but this never is. It isn't really anywhere. It's somewhere else instead.

It isn't really anywhere, it's somewhere else instead. Be where you are with what you got. That's where the power is. But also, being where you are with what you got is your only opportunity, y'all. There's nowhere else to be right now. Right here in the Cadre Sphere. You have Rachel Havoc coming to town in the Cadre Sphere live from Seattle in about 20 minutes. And I will be back again tomorrow morning, 7:30am Y'all have a great rest of your day. We'll see you later. Oh, and look for the the picture in the community feed.