Lots of people all over the world tend to lean toward an introvert personality in one respect or another. I am one of those people roughly sixty percent of the time. Every so often however, I need to feel the freedom of just letting loose - with no worries. Since I was a small child growing up in adverse circumstances, I leaned on creative outlets to keep my mind off of what I was living or to express the feelings that I couldn't speak.

Writing for me has always been that good friend ready and willing to listen the moment I needed it to. It remains my first and foremost passion and I owe a lot of my sanity to it. Being able to spill my guts and pour my mind onto paper took a lot of the weight off of trying to carry it around myself. I am immensely grateful to have the ability and talent to make my words carry the emotional burden that I so often struggle with.

My second all time most favorite creative outlet is singing. Again, starting from childhood, I absolutely loved performing on stage and singing with the school choir. My life at home was constant misery, and truthfully school was the only place that I could go to escape. Even though I struggled to fit in being a bashful and skittish child, I felt completely safe, comfortable, and even alive when I got to sing.

This adoration for exploiting my inner voice stuck with me ever since. At twenty-one, I sang solo for the first time in a bar, in front of a crowd of people. All eyes were on me and I swore that I would wet myself and be shamed off the stage. At first it was terrifying, and literally every part of me shook as I attempted to get the words out. Soon after however, I realized that the only limitation I really had, I was setting on myself. Did I sound like a rock-star just waiting to be discovered out of the gate? Let's just say that me and the better part of the county would agree that I wouldn't be signing any record deals just yet. Still, that didn't stop me from filling out little slips of paper with whatever I felt like singing on it, and waiting to be called. The most comforting part of all is that, no one really expects you to be perfect. In fact, they are well aware that they're likely not the next Luke Bryan or Carrie Underwood themselves. Therefore, embracing the imperfections and experience is that much more fun for everyone.

Over the years I have been to a number of establishments with amazing atmosphere, that have karaoke nights once a week. It became a regular thing to gather the group and to sing and be silly for a night. With this in mind, I admit that almost everyone who hasn't done it yet will say, “It'll take a lot of drinks to get me up there!”. This however, is a myth. Yes, your inhibitions are more relaxed due to alcohol impairing your better judgment but honestly that only gets you out of your seat. You will still be vulnerable and have to open up to let the world hear you. So, while I am absolutely not condoning irresponsible consumption of alcohol, I understand that bearing your soul to a crowd of strangers can be intense either way. However, there are lots of family restaurant/lounges that also have this type of entertainment. People of every age enjoy the freedom of just throwing caution to the wind and letting it all out. Once you realize that it really doesn't matter what you soud like as long as you had fun doing it, you're good forever.

Recently, I have been to a few places with completely different settings that offered karaoke. A really good MC will encourage your participation and make you feel at ease when you're up there all alone. They are like the guidance councilors of song and even when you totally annihilate it, tell you not to worry and that you're doing fine.

I've had the pleasure of meeting and singing with a few such MC's and they really can be the difference in the morale of a crowd. A couple local establishments including Bea McNally's off Grand Ave in Hackettstown, feature an MC by the name of LeeAnn.

This girl first of all, can sing her ass off and loves

when folks come out to do it with her. She has made many outings

truly exhilarating with her fun loving spirit and personality.

Another local MC that deserves recognition is Tom from Philbert's in

Washington. https://www.facebook.com/pg/PhilbertsPub/photos/?r...

This man was able to take a crowd of only a few, and

turn it into an entire singing group all with his cheerful and

comical personality.

If you're looking for a night out clubbing with your girls, this certainly isn't that, but if you want to just let loose and have, fun these are perfect.

As always, be responsible and safe, and if you haven't.... get out there and sing!!! You'll thank me for it :)