'The Great Escape': Bipolar Boot Camp, Part 6


The movie "The Great Escape" holds a special place in my heart. My dad (RAF) was a WWII POW (prisoner of war). He spent over 2 years of the war in a German prison camp which is probably why he lived to come home.

 "The Great Escape" is one  of the most famous prison camp escape stories ever and I knew some of the men who were part of it. They were personal friends of my dad's and so when a movie was made about it, we were all interested and followed it closely.

 All of this is to introduce you to the idea of a marching song.
A MARCHING SONG?

 Now where am I going with this?

 Well, this is a boot camp and we will need a marching song.

Now picture yourself marching (1,2,3, 4, etc) or better still, get those feet marching even as you sit at your computer. How about this one?

 One, two, three, four
What am I depressed for?
Five, six, seven, eight,
Now I'm in a manic state!
One, two, three, four
What am I depressed for?
Five, six, seven, eight,

Now I'm in a manic state!

 That pretty much sums up my life most of the time. But these are just lyrics, without the uplifting rhythm of a melody.
And... it is a depressing marching song! It doesn't uplift me or distract me from the negative aspects of my condition.
Soldiers seldom enjoyed marching. And those prisoners of war in WWII certainly didn't enjoy it when they were woken up in the middle of a cold night, and marched many miles to the next camp. They needed something to distract and uplift them.
The theme song from the movie 'The Great Escape' is a delightful and energetic marching song which I would like to share with you:

 Listen to this (the actual theme to the movie 'The Great Escape'). It is wonderful marching music. You can even get your cell phone to ring with it if you wanted. You could probably download it to your phone too and listen to it while you walk.

 You are not going to march and find a marching song JUST for Bipolar Boot Camp. Oh no! This is a skill which I hope you will keep and take home with you.

 Now, I want you to do some practice marching this week and see how it goes. If you haven't found a good marching song of your own, I will share a few more ideas with you next time.

 WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Do you think a marching song might help? Do you think it would hurt? 

 Don't give up! There is hope for depression.

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