Epiphany on TD #5 and the vocal chords

[MagicBalls]

Since the age of 12, I have studied and practiced good diction. In High School, the English teachers would always have me read the plays and the literature. Not once in a while. Every day. They loved it. I took choir during High School, and they really teach you about projecting your voice. It's an art. You learn to relax your throat muscles, open up the throat and your air passages, push air out all the way from your diaphram, and let your words and even your whispers carry from the stage into the back row.

Also, if you utter a vocal sound, and slide all the way from your lowest note, without forcing it, just relaxed, to your very top note, you'll find your point of resonance. This is called sympathetic vibrations. That's when your mouth, throat, and head are vibrating to the pitch of your voice. This is a natural phenomenon that happens with all musical instruments. For the guitar, the resonant note is usually G. That's why guitar songs in the key of G sounds so good. When you find your resonant pitch, and you learn to relax your muscles, to open your passage way, and push through the diaphragm, you can carry your voice across the room without much effort. This sounds like too many things at once, but just like driving, if you do it enough, you don't have to think about it.

So I like to read outloud, I sing, and I do public speaking. I can make a whisper go from one side of a building to another. Naturally I should make the wall vibrate wherever I go, to include social situations, right?

It didn't happen for a long time. I always struggled to bringing this key strength into social situations, but for some reason, I have to remind myself, and eventually I forget. What's curious is the times that I forget. I've observed myself. I notice that forget most when I'm feeling insecure, or when I'm addressing a superior, or someone who may have the upper hand in a situation. I start sounding high-pitched and nasal. Fucked up, right?

I've been working on TD's #5 . Alphas invade personal space. Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to invade so much space that I'll get arrested or fired. I got the thing calibrated pretty well, I think. But I do do it. All the time now. Stretch my legs out. Lean back. Put my arms around the chairs like I own everything in the perimeter of 50 feet. Grab that piece of paper from her lap and watch her giggle. Give that guy a big 'ol slap on the back.

And strangely enough, people just accept it. But you know, I shouldn't be surprised, because I have brothers and cousins that are like that. And people just accept it. But being the youngest, I was always AMOGGED and never fought back. I was taught that it's better to turn the other cheeck. That time is long gone. Follow me, or get the fuck out my way.

In this transition, I realized something. Carrying your voice to the capacity that I can carry it is invading personal space. A lot of it. I didn't do it because I was afraid. But now I just don't give a shit. [in projected voice] I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK. IF YOU DON'T FUCKING LIKE IT, PUT SOME EARPLUGS ON. So far no complaints, though. About an hour ago I read a lunch menu to a little 'ol blind lady. I thought she was going to fall over backwards for a moment. She said, "That sounds really good, thank you!"