Sometimes you need your friends to help get your Whoop! back.

I didn't noticed it had gone missing.

Until my vocal partner, Milt pointed it out.

"You don't do that little yelp when you're singing anymore."
"That what?"  I asked.
"You know," he continued, "that high pitched whoop thing you'd do in between phrases when we worship."

I was aghast! He was right! It had been gone so long from my ad-lib worship vocal riffs and improv repertoire, I'd forgotten I ever did it.

We are the layered voices, the background vocals (Bgv's), the back line that support the front platform lead singers.

A back line of singas.

 But, Oh My Gosh. I'd lost my Whoop! The casual version of Bravo! A vocal form of applause.

Where did it go? 

Why did it go? 

and most importantly 

How do I get it back?

Immediately my mind left the present conversation and scrambled to do an inventory of life events and emotions, interpersonal conflicts, problems at home and work that may have been the culprit; the thief that stole my "whoop!" away.

Was it sadness that a couple of my grown sons aren't quite on the path I'd hoped for? Empty nest syndrome? Was it financial worries? Was it the argument I had with my husband yesterday? Was it lack of job satisfaction? Or sleep deprivation?

Was it the fact that because the background singers are not always 'A' quality, the sound men mute our mics? (Now that can take take the wind out of your sails!)

We are Worship eye candy!

Or was it because the two 'brothers' I stand between are sooooo demonstrative - arms waving, hands gesturing, facial expressions exaggerated  - that I compensate to prevent a monstrous distraction to the worship service??

The BGV bozos.

The layered vocal team lulus!

The worship weirdos!

Yes, I have been trying to tone it down a bit. Yes, that's where my 'Whoo'! might have gone.

At any rate, I really needed my singing friends to point it out to me. To help me get it back. To sing with a heart that's no less full, just because my moves are more sedate than theirs.

Climbing out of myself, I became a free, more joyful and vocal fan of Jesus, again. None of the things listed above changed, but I could rise above them.

And it feels good to let a few Whooh's!" fly again!