Steemit Open Mic Week 100 – July (Original)

Hi Steemit, I’m Ari...

This is my very first time posting! I’ll be sure to make a more in-depth post properly introducing myself a little later, but for now, I thought this would be a good way to finally start engaging with this platform.

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I started learning to play the piano at age nine, and sometime in the eighth grade I taught myself to play guitar. I think I wrote my first song at age twelve. I had the privilege of attending a wonderful high school where I had the opportunity to explore music academically.

During those 4 years, I often found myself on stage, performing covers and the occasional original, sometimes in a band, others by myself. Since then, however, my music has become much more...intimate — something I usually only share with people who I know I can trust with the deeper and more vulnerable parts of my being.

So, when I played this song for my dear auntie @zipporah (who I’m sure some of you may know), and she insisted on recording a video for me so that I could enter the open mic, I was initially hesitant. After some self-reflection about why I am so guarded with this aspect of myself, I agreed to let her record the song. After all, the initial spark of inspiration for the lyrics came from a conversation between her and I about the various patterns us humans constantly find ourselves falling into.

I should warn you: this is not a happy song. Although I am only twenty-two, I have had my heart broken quite a few times. Recently, I noticed a pattern: every year for seven consecutive years, someone broke my heart in July. This song is about that.