It's a Weird World

It's a weird world.

I can't think of a year that has felt more strange and out of rhythm than 2020. Every time it feels like we are catching our stride, something pushes us off balance. The twists and turns of this year have been tough, painful, hard fought and important. Sometimes though, all we can do is remind ourselves that it is a strange world, and we are doing the best that we can.

Meiko perfectly sums up the rolling-with-the-punches energy many of us have had to take on this year in her song “Weird World”. "I am one girl, but I'll kick all of the ass that I need to" is the mantra that I find myself returning to when feeling defeated. When I first listened to this song, I found myself simultaneously laughing and crying because it truly embodied the absurd struggle it has been to make it through these last few months. And let's be honest, it’s been an emotional roller coaster.

Meiko delivers her message in a soft-yet-determined voice that is often overlooked in society. As a young woman in this ever changing and intimidating world, Meiko’s demeanor gives me a lot of hope and reassurance in these times. It is a reminder that I don’t need to be big and loud in order to fight all of the demons in life. As she says “I’ve got big balls and I’m gonna do something with ‘em,” metaphorically, of course. That energy has helped me to address the struggles in my own life. It is easy to feel the wind leave my sails these days, and sometimes I need a good kick in the butt to keep going.

“Take time for more important things. Realign my mind, soul and body”

2020 is the year of emotional growth and energy cleaning. There has been a collective reassessing and purging of the things we need and don’t need in our lives, as well as a new appreciation for the things we took for granted. Collectively we have had time to love and appreciate the people, dreams, and goals we have that are important to us, while letting go of all the toxic and painful things we never actually needed. I love this line in the song, and it always gets me pumped to work on passion projects and do my morning meditations.

“So I’ll work out and gain some muscle, read more and improve my hustle”

I’ve definitely needed the extra motivation to work out and to take care of myself both physically and mentally. Nurturing my brain with books has been a huge help in getting through this year so far. Whether it has been to learn more about the issues directly affecting our world, or for fun to give my ever thinking brain a break. Reading more, learning more, and growing more have been some of my most important goals this year, and I love that Meiko touches upon them in this song.

In a world that is constantly changing and throwing new challenges at us, it is nice to have a reminder to keep pushing forward. “Weird World”, beyond all the silliness, is a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. It is the fight song, the comfort song, the listen-and-smile song, the listen-while-you-work song, and the calm-your-energy song all wrapped into one. It is hard to find a single that does all of those things for me, which is why “Weird World” by Meiko is my 2020 anthem.

To top it all off, in the music video for the song, Meiko is a cartoon character in an old school video game kicking zombie and ghost butt. After powering up, eating her vegetables, and fighting hard, she ultimately makes it to the end of the level and floats up to the sky surrounded by sunshine, dancing trees and rainbows. 2020 has definitely felt like a boss battle and I truly cannot wait till we get to the beauty on the other side (dancing trees and rainbows would be nice too).