Country and the "Black Dog"

Winston Churchill was a manic depressive who called his depression "The Black Dog." His mind was anchored firmly in the 19th century. He fought in the Boer war and couldn't imagine England without an Empire. Therefore, he would never have been a fan of country music, because if he had been,  and he listened to country during depressive episodes he would never have been able to leave Chartwell and lead England to victory over Germany.

There was once a time in my life when I didn't listen to country. Things were just too painful and I didn't want to open  up another door that would send me on the down elevator.

If you listen to Reba McEntire sing "the Greatest Man I ever Knew," which tells of losing a father, you can be brought down on the best of days. When Chely Wright sings "Shut Up and Drive" you can imagine being the guy who never had the smarts to put it together and therefore lost a good woman.

Even though Garth Brooks tells us God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers, we know from experience the next song on the radio may just change the way we look at the rest of the day.