Peter Alsop's SONGS TO CHEW

When my buddy Utah Phillips recorded my song, ‘It's Only A Wee-Wee, So What's The Big Deal?', he introduced it by saying,“Now here's my idea of a kids' song folks! Full bore, overhead cam, spoke wire-wheels, no holds barred damn kids' song! None of that ‘knicky-knacky-nu' stuff we were stuck with when we were kids. When's the last time you actually said ‘wee-wee' in public? ‘It's only a wee-wee, so what's the big deal? It's only a wee-wee so what's all the fuss? It's only a wee-wee and everyone's got one, there's better things to discuss!”It's a fun song I wrote in 1981 designed to open up safe discussions about how our binary gender-roles assign many attributes to boys and men that also described girls and women, … and visa-versa. Females can be strong and heroic. Males can be gentle and caring. Let's just act like ourselves!Illustration by Terri AsherThat was almost 50 years ago! Nowadays we're aware of a slew of other factors we need to consider as we discover ‘who' we are with regard to our sexual identity, orientation, biological, physical, emotional, hormonal, and genetic make-up! There are so many different factors now in the wide spectrum of information we have to consider, that it's no longer possible to make a simple binary choice of a label that fits us correctly.Our gender identities have been limited to being either male or female for thousands of years, and we carry those gender labels with us, throughout our lives, that were assigned to us solely on the physical appearance of our genitals at birth.Our predominant culture demands that we accept our gender assignment, and when it does not fit with our own experience of ourselves, it takes great courage to push back against the pressure to conform. Some of us have been lucky enough to have family, friends, and other allies who support us in our exploration of this part of our human journey as we grow up, but many have not had that support.If we do speak up, it's often alone, and we are attacked, abused, and discounted for simply not fitting into one of the two choices we're given. So here we are singing ‘It's Only A Wee-Wee' at a ‘Healing Power of Laughter And Play Conference' with 1400 hundred human service professionals!I hereby officially reframe my chorus to this song by saying:“Having discussions with other safe, caring people as we grow and explore and discover who we are as sexual human beings is a VERY BIG DEAL! We begin to free ourselves from the constraints of our binary assignments when we sing together about our genitals! Please join us!”IT'S ONLY A WEE-WEE, SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?As soon as you're born GGrown-ups check where you pee CAnd then they decide D-D7Just how you're supposed t'be G-(C-G)Girls pink and quiet, GBoys noisy and blue CSeems like a dumb way D-D7To choose what you'll do G-(C-G)Cho: It's only a wee-wee GSo what's the big deal? CIt's only a wee-wee D-D7So what's all the fuss? GIt's only a wee-wee GAnd everyone's got one CThere's better D-D7Things to discuss!! G-(C-G)Now girls must use make-upGirls' names and girls' clothesAnd boys must use sneakersBut not pantyhose!The grown-ups will teach youThe rules to their dance,And if you get confused,They'll say “Look in your pants!”ChorusIf I live to be nine,I won't understandWhy grown-ups are tot'lyObsessed with their glandsIf I touch myself, ...“Don't you do that!” I'm told,And they treat me likeI might explode!ChorusNow grown-ups watch closelyEach move that we makeBoys must not cry,And girls must make cakeIt's all very formal,And I think it smellsLet's all be abnormalAnd act like ourselves!Chorus(extra Adult verse)She walked to the marketPast brave cavaliersShe tried to avoid them,They whistled and jeeredShe gave them the finger,They gave her more noiseSo she stopped and she sangTo those bright ‘little boys'Cho: It's only a wee-wee,So what's the big deal?It's only a wee-wee,So why do you watch?It's only a wee-wee,And everyone's got oneThere's more to lifeThan your crotch!!Written by Peter Alsop, ©1981, Moose School Music (BMI)For more discussion check out Peter Alsop's SONGS TO CHEW audio podcast here on Substack or anywhere you get podcasts!Peter Alsop's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. www.peteralsop.com Get full access to Peter Alsop's Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

    I wrote today's 'Song To Chew' for our Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.  It's called SMALL BRIBES.  Thought he might need some advice about how to stay out of trouble.  I haven't released this song on an album yet, but I've got a 'soon to be released' YouTube video with Uncle Sam singing it to him.  (He looks and sounds a lot like me!)  I'll let you know if I hear back from Justice Thomas.  If you have something you'd like to offer him in return for leaning his Supreme Court decisions a bit more toward caring about non-rich citizens, drop me a note and I'll see if he might be interested!  Glad you stopped by.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today's 'Song To Chew' is YECCH! from my “Wha'D'Ya Wanna Do?" album.  I play this song at almost every family concert because almost veryone loves screaming "Yecch!" at the top of their lungs!  It's a 'scream-along' so you can join in with us!  It's full of make-believe and playfulness, and it's an example of how story and oral tradition grab our attention and engage us. There is an air of danger when we face unknown monsters.  When adults laugh with kids at "yecchy" stuff, kids recognize a kindred spirit.  They know I'm not going to be a 'judgmental' adult if I'm willing to sing a gross song like this, and they're more likely to listen to what I have to say. "Booger-humor" is as basic and as old as the pun and poop jokes!  The fun comes from watching 'normal' adults get 'grossed out' by mentioning snot or slime!  It's got elements of rebellion in it that appeal to those of us who doesn't always accept the family rules about 'being polite'.  We can be "gross" in defiance of the socially accepted norms and still not get in any trouble.  Kids often find themselves in overwhelming or abrasive social interactions, and they actually 'need' to embrace fantasy as a way of checking out from the usual 'family zoo' energy.  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now!  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today's 'Song To Chew' is LET'S FACE IT! from my “In The Hospital" album.  It addresses facial disfigurement, and all the unsettling emotions that we go through when we feel that we're different than others around us.  It's difficult emotionally, whether we're an adult or a child, to figure out how we're going to behave when others stare at us and feel uncomfortable. We have to cope with our own feelings of being left out and rejected. Maintaining a healthy, positive self-image is a lifelong process for all of us. Children born with physical "differences", or who become physically "different" are particularly vulnerable to the reactions of others.  These reactions strongly influence how we feel about ourselves. We need all the support we can get, so that we don't accept a negative self-image of ourself.  And this happens with our skin color too.  Nowadays black kids, and tan, yellow and white kids with freckles all get treated together in hospitals, and it wasn't always that way!  People's attitudes and behaviors change slowly, but they do change! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today's 'Song To Chew' is INSPECTION.  I wrote it with Penny Pefley, one of the pediatric nurses who helped us make our “In The Hospital"album.  My buddy Bill Harley and I 'rap' this one.  Our personal privacy is challenged regularly in a hospital by doctors, nurses and assistants who want to make sure we're okay.  They even wake us up at night to make sure we're sleeping soundly!  Today's kids are taught that it's their body and they can say "No!", but this all changes in the hospital.  We can feel trapped, helpless, and angry as stranger after stranger invades our privacy.  We want to honor a child's sense of self-worth by answering their questions and making safe space for their feelings to surface.  They have a right to know what's happening to them.  Some hospitals have child-life staff who support children when parents can't be there, to be sure the child receives age-appropriate explanations for things that are done.  We never, ever tease, but enjoying a good laugh decreases stress and helps us get beyond some tough situations.  Being in a hospital becomes easier if we remember we're all going through this together in the hope of returning to good health.  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today's 'Song To Chew' is JUICE, from my “Stayin Over" album.  It's an uncomplicated song, about the complicated concepts of 'love' and 'energy'.  When we feel we're not loved, we feel empty, and we search for any kind of 'juice' to fill us up, like booze, sex, drugs, money, food or approval from others.  But when we're actually filled up with 'love', we don't have to go on that search.  We can pass on that love and energy we have to others.  We learn to love others from being loved.  Children act morally when they understand feelings, it's not just about 'following rules'. The best way to teach kids about feelings, is to be open about our own feelings with them.  As they gain the ability to "feel" for others, they will make decisions about how to behave, based on their own feelings and understanding of what's going on.  Our caring behaviors come from treating others, as we would like them to treat us.  (Sound familiar?). When we have "juice", we pass that "juice " along!  I'm Peter Alsop.  Sure would appreciate you telling others about this podcast, and I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today we'll 'Chew' on the title song from my STAYIN' OVER album.  Do you remember the first night you went to 'stay over' at a friend's house?  Maybe it was a camping trip with other families.  These adventures are loaded with memories and lessons we learned from our social interactions with others.  It's a big step in independence for most kids.  When we do it, we face separation from our own bed, blanket, our teddy bear, and from our parents.  Some kids are nervous about wetting our bed, or getting teased because we're afraid of the dark.  It's important to let kids know they can make their own decisions about sleeping overnight at a friend's house.  Slumber parties allow kids to take part in the creation of the "group stories" that become a part of our childhood.  We learn about friendship by spending time and sharing feelings and adventures with our friends. And having fun is great health care!  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today's 'Song To Chew' is WIGGLE.  It's a song about freedom!  We all “wiggle” when someone won't let us do what we want to do.  'Being alive!" means that in one form or another, we just need to "wiggle"!  Some of us wiggle emotionally because we don't want to be 'pinned down'.  Some wiggle physically because we'll jump out of our skin if we can't get down and run around and chase the kitty cat!  And some of us do "ethical wiggling".  Politicians do it; business people, religious people too!  Legislatures make laws to eliminate as much 'wiggle-room' as they can, because when there's a lot of 'wiggle-room', there's room for mis-understandings and prevarications.  It allows 'wigglers' to "speak or act in an evasive way."  It's instructional for us grown-ups to remember what it's like being in 'kid shoes' once in a while.  This song is to remind us that, rather than get upset with a wiggly kid, we can practice having patience.  When we allow them some 'wiggle-room', we remember how important it is for us, and for those little 'inner kids' inside the big grown-ups around us.  I'm Peter Alsop.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen & subscribe to my Songs To Chew = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = be one of my patrons and support my music! ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs or downloads

Today's 'Song To Chew' is THE PRIZE from my “Did You Walk?" album.  It's song lyrics without any music, so actually, it's a poem.  We're constantly being taught that it's important to 'come in first', to 'win the game', to 'win the race!'  Some of us do it to get approval from others.  Some think we have to do it so we can become financially independent and better able to care for ourselves and our loved ones.  To have a kinder, more sustainable way of surviving on earth, we need to learn how to be inter-dependent with one another.  That means we share resources and build awareness about our wastefulness.  It means that we help each other and share space and time together.  There are better ways to have fun, than playing a game where there's only one 'winner' and everyone else is a loser.  If we want to learn how to live a balanced life, we need to pay attention to how we feel as we go through our interactions with each other.  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

    Today's 'Song To Chew', SANDWICHES, was written by Bob King.  One of the subjects that kids love to sing about is food!!  We'll 'chew on' ideas about kids and food and the interconnectedness of all the human things we do in our lives.  There's 'enjoyment' and 'sharing'.  There's 'mooching', which is trying to get something that someone else has, but not wanting to 'share' what we have.  'Mooching' is like a 'one way street' where everything on the road is coming in our direction, and real 'sharing' is like a two-way street where traffic goes in both directions.  We find 'anger', 'resentment', and 'bartering' in this song too, and we explore 'expectations' and 'boundary setting'.  Little songs like this can be powerful 'teaching tools' that can create great "A-ha!" moments of clarity for us.  We have to we pay attention and be willing to 'tease it out' and 'chew on it' in order to benefit from these little bits of wisdom. I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen & subscribe to my Songs To Chew = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = be one of my patrons and support my music! ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs or downloads

    Today's 'Song To Chew' is NEEDLE-EE NOODLE-EE.  I wrote it with Penny Pefley, one of the two pediatric nurses who initiated our "In The Hospital" album!  "Pokes" or "shots" are probably the number one fear children have about being in the hospital. Few children escape this experience, whether as an injection, an IV start, or a blood test.  It may be impossible for a child to understand why they're being hurt when we're supposed to be making them better, but it's important for them to know that they're not being punished, and that it will help them get better.  Be honest; stay relaxed, and say things like, "It may hurt for a minute, and then it will be over.  I'll help you hold still.  It's OK to cry".  Younger kids may be afraid that all their blood will leak out, and need to be reassured that only a small amount will be taken, and the hole will close.  Band-aids are very important to some children, so be sure to offer them.  Some parents make comments about those "mean doctors and nurses" as a way of showing sympathy for their child, but it helps tremendously when they have a positive attitude towards the hospital and staff. Hugh thanks to nurses Penny Pefley and Diane Gates for their help writing notes for the booklet  that goes with our "In The Hospital" album.  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now!  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our Song To Chew today is MY DAD'S A JUNGLE GYM from my “Uh-Oh!" album.  I used to carry my daughters around on my shoulders, or under my arms when they were little.  Sometimes they'd get tired on a walk, and I'd carry them on my back.  Eventually they'd wiggle free, hop down and run around again.  Dads are generally less 'risk-adverse' than Moms, which means that we let our kids take more risks than Moms do.  I'd let them stand on the roof of my van and hold out my arms and say, "Okay!  Jump!", ... and they'd jump!  I always caught them, and we'd laugh.  Don't think I ever dropped them.  Most Dads are not so worried about kids falling down and scraping a knee or getting a sun-burn.  Doesn't mean we don't care, we're just less likely to think it's a big deal.  We chew on some of these thoughts in this podcast, see what you think!  I'm Peter Alsop.  I hope all you Dads out there have a chance to be a Jungle Gym too!  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

   Today's 'Song To Chew' is MY BODY RUNS, from my “Did You Walk?" album.  I wrote this song at the request of two women who were marketing their Digi-Walker Pedometer, a small device for one's belt or pocket that counts the steps we take to be sure we get enough exercise every day.  Kids have lots of questions about their own bodies and how they seem to work sort of automatically.  "My body runs, my body goes!  I don't know how, but my body knows!"  We really don't have much control over making our heart beat or digesting our food.  So this song examines all that mystery in a gentle way.  Us adults are just amazed as kids when we consider how incredible our bodies really are!  I'm Peter Alsop. See you next time with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

   Today's 'Song To Chew', WHA'D'YA WANNA DO?, is about 'wanting to have fun with a buddy'.  As I listen to the lyrics more than 40 years after I wrote them, they're about being joyous.  That's mostly what kids wanna do, 'find support as we go through our lives joyously'.  Support makes it less scary to take risks, so when we take a risk, even if it doesn't work out, we learn that we can overcome obstacles and eventually become stronger and more confident.  This song isn't as philosophically 'deep' as some of my other songs, but with this heavy old world bouncing around dangerously these days, the simple message this song carries is 'profound'.  We all want to 'hang out' with people who know that sharing fun and laughter in dark time is comforting and healing and that 'joy' is an uplifting birthright of every human being on the planet. ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    This week's 'Song To Chew' is THAT'S MY THANG! We get a "fire in our belly" about something that involves all our attention, often to the exclusion of everything else around us.  Our 'thang' is something we want to achieve, or simply a task we want to complete.  Our 'thang' isn't really 'work' because we enjoy doing it.  Many of us love the work we do.  Artists often work for little or no money because it's an expression of ourselves.  It feels good to do our "thang" and if we can get paid for it, that's great! Living in a capitalistic system teaches us that everything has a specific monetary value.  We learn to put a price on everything, so we know 'exactly' how much it's worth. A story like that leads us astray, and the gorgeous range of passion in human endeavors gets quantized into flat numbers, and actually cheapens the way we think about our life.  I sure hope your life has some passionate 'Thang' you love to do!  I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now!  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today we'll "chew on" the song, COVERS ON OUR HEARTS from our musical play "Pie In The Sky".  It takes place in a small town with a big nuclear reactor.  The kids in town want to get rid of it because there are so many health problems, but the grown-ups are slow to respond.  It's based on the Pied Piper fable, about a magical piper who's hired to rid the town of rats.  He leads them all out of town by playing his magical flute, (in my case, a drum!).  But when the townspeople refuse to pay him, he leads all their children away, never to be heard from again.  The story is a painful lesson that 'trinkets and baubles' from our capitalistic system, can never replace our much-needed love relationships.  We each have childhood injuries and bruises, but the emotional 'covers' we develop to protect ourselves, make it more difficult to care for each other and lift each other up.  Yet that is is exactly what we need to do to sustain life on our planet and survive here together.  So our work is to 'shake off our covers'!  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll see you again soon with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our 'Song To Chew' today is WHILE I'M SLEEPING, written with Diane Gates.  She and Penny Pefley are pediatric nurses from Seattle Children's Hospital who encouraged me to write and record our 'In The Hospital' album.  I got my buddy Bill Harley to join us, and we won Parent's Choice 'Best Album'!  This song addresses difficulties we face with going to sleep, particularly when we're in a hospital. We have fears about not being conscious or in control when we're asleep, and our strange surroundings and fears about our health compound these problems.  What if we don't wake up?  If a child has an operation that requires anesthesia the word "sleep" is the best way to explain this to them.  Unfortunately, it's also used when we talk about death.  It's confusing and scary to be told we'll get some "special medicine" that will put us to sleep, so it's important to be very clear about this 'kind of sleep'.  We can help kids who have trouble sleeping in the hospital by continuing their home bedtime routines, giving them a small flashlight in bed and making sure they meet the primary doctors and nurses.  Your child's physician may also have some suggestions.  Best of all is to be there, and ask them what they think would help them feel safe. ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our 'Song To Chew' today is UNDER THE RAINBOW.  Some might call it a 'woke' song, because it's full of hope.  There are some very mystifying things in this world.  I haven't got a clue about how they happen, so I don't rule out prayer, magic, supernatural religions, being "woke" or anything else that might help us all survive together!  I know that 'when someone holds a belief, we can't get them to change that belief by offering facts.'  Science and logic don't have much influence in the 'Land of Beliefs'.  Unfortunately, in the 'Land of Science and Logic', there's not much support for the idea that a belief or story can have a huge influence on a person's ability to accomplish things in their life.  There's a mystical, innocent, non-scientific power in a child's beliefs and stories, and whether they're true or not, by holding them so close to their hearts, they can accomplish amazing feats that seem impossible to the rest of us.  If we're to have a future that's safe and sustainable, we need to it start now!  As I age, I feel a 'nibbling remorse' that I need to do more to leave our children a safer world.  My own dear children, singing the words to my song, ring more true to me now than they did when I wrote them.             "You cannot give the world to us.  It is not yours to give.               It is a home for every child, who needs to grow and live               And for a while, we may borrow the air and trees and sun,               But we must never, never break the trust, of the children yet to come."  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

Today's 'Song To Chew' is NEVER SPEAK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL!  It seems like a 'fun little song', but it opens doors to deeper topics like, 'Where do our rules come from?' and 'How do they become laws?'  Kids deal with 'grown-up rules' all the time.  We teach children rules, so they'll learn to be socially responsible adults; people who care about other people.  Adults who sing this song with their kids send the message, “We can play and be silly, and still be caring and polite to each other at the same time!"  I think that's a wiser, healthier, message than, “follow the rules no matter what!”  When I need to speak up about something that's "not okay" with me, I need to do it in a way that will 'get through' to another person. It's not going to resolve anything if that other person feels like they're being attacked!   So we really need to be careful about how we do that.  And practicing that, ... starts with me! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our 'Song To Chew' today is I'M A LITTLE COOKIE, written by Larry Penn. It reframes the concept of 'having a disability' for kids and grown-ups.  When a traumatic event happens, and something in us changes or 'breaks', we can feel like we're 'un-whole'!  It's true that as we change and grow and learn, difficult things do happen to us, but we're still fully human no matter what!  We may be 'different', but when changes happen, we adjust, and work to rebalance ourselves.  No matter what color or flavor we are, we each experience the human feelings of happy, sad, scared or angry.  That's part of the deal!  Every one of us is part of our human tribe; the big family!  If we believe that we're limited in what we can do, that just makes it more difficult for us to go beyond those limits.  We're all little gum drops or chocolate bars, or cookies, and regardless of any dents or lost pieces, we can still taste sweet and delicious and loveable.  I'm Peter Alsop.  See you next time, for another ‘Song to Chew'! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

Our SONG TO CHEW this week is PEACEFUL FEET, from my 'Grow It At Home' album.  I wrote it as part of a challenge sent out from Rounder Kids Records asking some of the best artists in children's and family music to create a one-minute song for an album called "HEAR AND GONE IN 60 SECONDS" It included my friends Bill Harley, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Justin Roberts, Kim and Reggie Harris, Tom Paxton, Beethoven's Wig, Dan Crow, Dave Kinnoin, Parachute Express and Joanie Bartels, just to name a few!  I wrote a song that was silly, but also had larger themes of world peace, and we'll talk about that process. Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be back next week, with another ‘Song to Chew'! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    This week's 'Song To Chew' is GNARLY DUDE.  'Gnarly' means 'twisted and knobby', but it's also slang for 'something unpleasant or unattractive', or for the opposite, 'something excellent or very good'.  To be a 'gnarly dude', we have to figure out how to be tough and cool at the same time! Sounds challenging! One of the unwritten lessons we learn in school is that we need to study the subject and the teacher in order to get good grades.  By the time we go to school, most of us have mastered how to get what we want from our parents!  School provides another opportunity, outside our family, to analyze a system and explore how to survive and thrive!  We pick up techniques watching the teacher and other students, then when we're older, we observe people at our workplace and get to practice how to share, lie, promise, fight, tattle, use honesty, kindness, loyalty and friendship.  Life's a big school where we can learn how to be 'gnarly' so we can help ourselves and the people around us feel lifted and successful. ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

   This week's Song To Chew, 'HOME WHERE THE HEART IS', opens the musical stage play I wrote with Ellen Geer, “Pie In The Sky", which  ran as part of our 1987 theater season at the Theatricum Botanicum. It takes place in a small American town that has its own nuclear reactor. The kids of the town want to get rid of it because it's creating health problems, but the grown-ups are slow to respond.  It's based on the fable of the Pied Piper who rid Hamlin Town of it's plague of rats by playing his magical flute. When the townspeople refuse to pay him, he charms their children and leads them away dancing and singing out of town never to be seen again.  The lesson that 'it doesn't pay to be greedy and dishonest', and that 'owning lots of things cannot bring happiness or love', seems to be one we need to learn over and over again.  In today's American culture, our capitalism requires constant, unsustainable growth, and sustainable-indigenous models of 'having enough' is something that most of us do not foster.  We need homes that are safe places for us to explore options, make mistakes and re-group, and where we give and receive support because we value each other more than we value our belongings. ~ Listen & subscribe to Songs To Chew anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

My SAMIT AND THE DRAGON song comes from our “In The Hospital" album, recorded with my buddy Bill Harley and the two pediatric nurses from Seattle Children's Hospital who instigated the whole project, Diane Gates and Penny Pefley.  We won the Best Children's Album of the Year Award from the National Assn of Independent Record Distributors in 1983!  Doctors and nurses in pediatric hospitals still use it to help kids and families.  It was new back then, but today, many traditional medical professionals use visualization techniques to help patients support their own internal healing processes.  It helps them relax and become part of the team of people who work to make them healthier.  Children are very receptive to mental imaging or visualizing stories as it's something we do naturally while we listen to stories, or daydream. And it's not just for kids.  Adults who run businesses, parents, other-abled people and elderly folks use imagery to help change some of the negative stories we carry within us, so more positive outcomes can surface.  Check it out, and I'll see you next week for another ‘Song to Chew'! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

    Our SONG TO CHEW this week, is STRANGERS, from my 1992 child abuse prevention concert with KidPower and actor John Ritter.  Before people turn 18, one out of four of us will have been sexually abused.  Our feelings are like an early warning system.  If we feel uncomfortable about a situation, we need to listen to that little voice and get to safety!  Adult social interactions can be very confusing for kids.  85% per cent of the time, the abuse comes from someone who we know and trust.  Less often, it's a 'stranger', who is 'anyone we don't know'; a man, woman, boy or girl.  If a child is 8 years old or under, and on their own, they should never talk to strangers, except in emergencies.  Kids over 8 years old, can talk to strangers, but they must keep a safe distance, and not give any personal information.  That's because kids under 8 can easily get distracted from the safety rules when they talk to someone.  ~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ link in bio, or wherever you get podcasts ~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop ~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ peteralsop.com ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop

    Our 'Song To Chew' this week is 'NO, NO, NO!'  Little kids like to say 'No!'.  We learn that from the adults around us!  "Can I have a puppy?" No!  "Can my friend come here to play?" No!  It's impossible to be a perfect parent.  I was spanked as a kid, but I never hit my kids, and they turned our pretty great.  With the world situation being what it is these days, I don't want to teach children that it's okay to use violence to 'solve' a problem! ~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ link in bio, wherever you get podcasts or: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156  ~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop ~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ peteralsop.com ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop

Today's 'Song To Chew', "IF YOU LOVE A HIPPOPOTAMUS" was written by Connie Kaldor, a wonderful Canadian singer-songwriter.  It brings up the delicate subject of our size and our behavior and our appearance. If we don't look or behave the way other people think we should, we can get excluded, and become overly-critical of ourselves.  We beat ourselves up for eating too much or exercising too little or being clumsy, then feel sad or angry about the whole thing, and binge to sooth ourselves.  Next, we feel guilty, and go on another strict diet, and the cycle continues.  In the animal kingdom hippos know who they are and they pay attention to what they do!  They know that the size of a package isn't as important as what's inside that package!  ~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ link in bio, or wherever you get podcasts or: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156   ~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop ~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ peteralsop.com ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop    

WHERE WILL I GO WHEN I'M DEAD AND GONE? is one of my more controversial songs.  Why write a song for kids about death and dying?  Because it's a subject no one wants to talk about!  Curiosity about death is completely human and understandable.  Kids need safe people to talk with about it; to ask questions and process some of the huge feelings that come up when we lose someone or something important to us.  Death comes to all living things, and can be scary and sad to think about, but rather than get uptight, I play with some the fearful thoughts and make them less scary, without making fun of anyone who feels afraid.  There's a video of this song on YouTube with about 240 thousand views.  It "gets this subject out onto the table", so families can air it out and let it breathe. ~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ where ever you get podcasts ~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop ~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ peteralsop.com ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop  

    This week's SONG TO CHEW is ASK AWAY from my “Grow It At Home" album!  The concept is simple!  'Ask others for help', but that can be difficult for some of us.  We don't want to impose or look weak or confused.  Some think it's gender-linked to men, as many men would rather drive around lost for hours instead of asking for directions, but we know this affects everyone.  When we ask for clear information, we often get big words or acronyms that we've never heard before!  And when we're stressed or nervous, it's easy to get facts mixed-up, right?  Clear information helps us make healthy decisions about how to proceed with our lives.  What are our choices?  Teachers usually encourage students to ask questions, because that's a great way to learn!  It's how we figure out what's expected of us in the world when we're babies!  This song has lots to 'Chew On', so check out this episode, and email me at peter@peteralsop.com, or message me at 'We Like Peter Alsop' on Facebook if you have any questions.  Bye for now! ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156  = subscribe to Songs To Chew ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1  = my newest album ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop  = follow on FaceBook ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

Our SONG TO CHEW this week is US KIDS BRUSH OUR TEETH from my 'Stayin' Over' album.  A four-year-old doesn't brush their teeth just to get them clean!  That's what adults do!  Kids have a completely different agenda!  If we get upset with our kids for "not acting like adults", we miss the delight and playfulness of how our children brush their teeth.  It's called "appreciating diversity!"  They'll be adults soon enough.  Through them, we have an opportunity to see the world with new eyes.  Most parents forget the 'kid toothbrushing ritual', as soon as we pass into our teenage years!  When little kids brush their teeth, they find ways to make it playful!  The philosophical take-away is that each of us has our own pathway; our own rituals and our life-time minutes to use the way we want!  Parents have that choice too!  We can get upset, or ask ourselves, "is it really important for me to stop this little person from doing what they're doing right now, and make them do it MY way?"  As the singer says, "I'm still just a kid! Bein' slow's not that bad, so please listen a minute before you get mad!"  Hopefully adults listen, and back off enough to enjoy their child's playfulness.  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back again next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts, or try https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

Our SONG TO CHEW this week, is a 'batch of songs'.  We'll listen to the IRISH SEATBELT JIG, APPLE JUICE, ME-ME-ME, and SPIN AROUND.  We'll 'chew on' how impactful these repetitive little children's songs can be!  This kind of song gets into our heads, like some of the commercial jingles and 'ear worms' we find ourselves humming or singing to ourselves, word-for-word, years later!  Unnoticed by us, these simple jingles and musical memes pass on our cultural messages too!  Some messages are healthy for us, like my seatbelt song.  It's a safety message.  But other messages are 'not-so-wonderful', like some of the sexist, patriarchal and racist messages that pack our brains with images that separate us and de-humanize us.  We won't be singing any of those today.  When music's combined with simple rhymed lyrics, they can affect us very powerfully, and we unknowingly absorb their ideas.  Today's four songs each have simple messages: "Seatbelts save lives!" "Anyone can make up a song about anything!" "Thinking about ourselves is our job when we're a kid!" and, "General rules don't always work for all people."  Thanks for listening. Please subscribe and invite your friends, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts, or: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    This week's 'Song To Chew' is I CRIED by Ruth Pelham from my 'Stayin' Over' album.  I first heard Holly Near sing this wonderful song, then I met the wonderful Ruth Pelham in person.  She's an educator, songwriter and performer and she's dedicated her life to helping children learn by using music.  Her school programs and songs blend her years of experience with her innovative approach to education.  I recorded I CRIED because it was the only song I'd ever heard for children and families about divorce.  It's masterful and addresses the courageous and healing discussions that need to take place to help families move on to living in a different configuration than what they'd expected. It lays out how difficult it is to carry on our regular lives while we grieve the loss of a life that has changed.  Divorces are traumatic for kids, and very difficult for parents as well.  Often kids feel responsible when their parents get divorced!  But we know for sure that "a child is never responsible when parent's get divorced."  Some kids try to "act perfectly", hoping their parents will get back together.  Others are uncooperative and "act out'.  These are the cries of a hurting heart.  Around the world, many of our social norms teach us that it's not okay to cry, especially for men and boys.  Sadness is part of being human.  Everyone has hurts, and crying helps heal our body and our souls by rebalancing us.  Contact Ruth at: Ruth Pelham.com, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts, or, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our 'Song To Chew' this week, PAT YOUR DADDY ON THE KNEE comes from my “Uh-Oh!" album.  When we scratch the surface of these 'family music' songs, we find important life-lessons for adults too.  Adults who don't have any kids tell me, they learn from 'chewin' on' these songs!  Life-lessons for little kids can help big grown-ups too! Everybody in the world has rough times when things happen that are painful and disturbing.  And we don't want those rough time to come back again.  The memory of them affects all our decisions; the kind of work we choose, who we fall in love with and how we respond when we're afraid.  This song gives us a model of how we can use that experience to support other folks who are upset!  We can give them some support!  Maybe pat them on the back or the knee, or listen to them, or ask them if they want a hug.  We can lift folks up who are down, and if we love 'em, we can tell 'em that!  Seems pretty simple, and it goes a long way. Because then, those people pass on that caring behavior to others who need support!  See that!?  If you look, you can find some mighty useful stuff in kid songs!  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

   Our 'Song To Chew' this week, from my “Family Roles" album is THE NEWBORN, written by Rosita Perez.  Technically, it's a 'Poem To Chew' from her book, "THE MUSIC IS YOU: A Guide to Thinking Less and Feeling More".  I love this poem because it points out how the words 'belief' and 'faith' are different.  When someone chooses to hold a 'belief' in something, no matter what evidence or verifiable facts are supplied, especially if they question the 'belief', a 'believer' will not change, and they may even refuse to listen to others who don't hold the same belief.  It's a 'static' system.  Whereas 'faith' also requires making a choice, but it's different than holding a 'belief.'  When someone has 'faith' that some idea is real and true, they're not afraid to have a reasonable discussion with others, who think differently than they do.  Exactly because they have 'faith', they know they can listen and alter their understanding of whatever idea they're discussing, and continue to refine how their 'faith' works in their life as they gather new information.  In doing so, their lives become more balanced and manageable.  It's a dynamic and spiritual way of perceiving our world.  I'm Peter Alsop.  If you've been enjoying my 'Songs To Chew' podcasts, please share them with your friends and family.  And I'll see you again next week!  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

    This week's SONG TO CHEW is the title cut from my "Uh-Oh!" album, so of course it's called 'UH-OH!'  Making messes is something all humans do from time to time.  Actually, when we make a mistake, it's a great opportunity for us to practice forgiving ourselves!  When we can do that, it makes it easier for us to accept and forgive others around us who make mistakes.  When we practice loving and supporting others who mess up, that helps us find the courage to go on next time we mess up!  Usually we're not so excited about fixing up our own messes, but that's what we do!  We work on it until we get it right, and try again!  And we all know we're not alone when we make a mess or a mistake.  We're part of a really big Club!!  Right? "One person's 'mess', is another person's 'sense of organization'.  I have papers all over my desk, and it might look messy to you, but I know where everything is, mostly!  Forgiving someone for something doesn't mean that what they did is okay, it means that we don't want to hold a grudge against them, or blame them by making comments!  Why do that!?  They already know they did it!  And it feels great to help folks out when mistakes are made, especially for people we love.  Isn't it amazing how little kid songs can have deep meanings for grown-ups too!  I'm Peter Alsop. See you next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    This week our 'Song To Chew' comes from my “Pluggin' Away" album.  It's called NO ONE'S NORMAL.  I wrote it because if you tell someone they're 'normal', they can get insulted by that!  But if you say they're 'abnormal', they don't like that either.  Maybe we should get rid of these 'label' words and stick to action words!  Tell me what someone does, not what category they fall into!  Everyone is themself!  And no one person is ever completely normal!  So this song is about understanding that the word "normal" refers to being included in a group that has the most people in it.  We may have 'average' height or weight or wear the same kind of clothing as most other people, but that doesn't mean that we're a 'normal' person.  Using labels like 'normal' and 'abnormal' to describe someone, can limit how we see that person.  When we're lumped into a big category, it's easier to be ignored or dismissed because we're summed up under one label! Others miss the complexity and beauty of who we are.  I once presented at a conference for teachers of 'gifted' children.  I've always had a problem with labels like that, because when we designate a child as 'gifted', it just shows our own inability to see the gifts in the child sitting next to that gifted kid.  No one's normal, you know that, including every one of us!  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'!  Bye for now! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our 'Song To Chew' this week is the title cut from my TAKE ME WITH YOU album.  This song exemplifies the 'naughty child' themes that I find so appealing, and use so often in my family songs.  Kids are really smart.  They figure out what works best for them to get what they want from their parents.  When we're little, we have to depend on big folks around us to supply us with what we need!  Food, clothing, shelter, and parents are very busy human beings, because doing everything that needs to be done in a family, can be a tall order!  Some parents go to work in the morning and don't come home until after dark.  Some kids come home from school to an empty house and often make their own dinner.  Being alone can be very tough for a child, and we sure need more affordable day care facilities or cooperative arrangements for families who find themselves stuck in this situation.  A kid's fears of being left on our own are very powerful. When parents are upset with us, our imaginations can go wild!  Thousands of years ago being left out of our 'tribal community' was essentially a death sentence, so it's actually a 'healthy survival technique' when kids learn how to manage their parents, by finding and pushing the 'parental buttons'!  We'll 'chew on' some of these techniques today, and look at ways we 'negotiate' and 'manipulate' and push the buttons of people in the systems where we live and work and play.  I'm Peter Alsop, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    This week our 'Song To Chew' is MY GUMS GROW TEETH from my ““Uh-Oh!" album.  One of the 'rites of passage' for all kids, is 'losing a tooth'!  I thought I'd write a song about that for my 'pre-schoolers' album, but then I realized, pre-schoolers aren't losing their teeth, they're growing them!  That's probably pretty scary, like, "How do my gums know what to do?  How come they don't get all mixed up?!"  In order to write this song, I had to put myself into the shoes of a pre-schooler, and that was very instructive!  I highly recommend it to those of us who are no longer pre-schoolers, because when we put ourselves into another person's shoes, we benefit from seeing what it's like to be in that person's 'vulnerable space'.  Imagining ourselves in 'someone else's shoes' provides us with an opportunity to build understanding and empathy for others.  We can sense what feelings might be going on for another person, especially if they're baffled, scared, angry, or sad about something in their own life.  That momentary insight into someone else's world, can help us understand that, they're being upset may not have anything at all to do with us.  I'm Peter Alsop.  See you next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

    Today, for your audio pleasure, we'll LISTEN TO THE BEET, as our 'Song To Chew' from my 'Grow It At Home' album.  I entered this song in a contest put on by the L.A. Unified School District where the winning songs would be included in a CD compilation, to be distributed to all the elementary school kids in Los Angeles, to get them to eat and enjoy more vegetables!  My motivation to write usually comes from some life lesson I learned.  I figure, if it's helped me get some clarity about things going on around me, why not pass this information along to kids and families who might find it useful too!  But this song, was a challenge, until I decided to have it sung by 'The Beet' himself!  We'll look at the steps I took in writing this song, because the better we understand our creative process, the better we become at "doing what we do!"  And we can avoid some of the pitfalls where we used to get stuck!  Unfortunately this song was NOT one of the finalists in the food song contest.  I have no idea why not!  Personally, I think it's a masterpiece!  Check it out and see what you think!  I'm Peter Alsop, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our Song To Chew this week, 'IF IT DOESN'T HAVE ME' was written by my buddy Bill Harley.  It's from our “In The Hospital" album that helps kids understand more about hospitals and doctors and nurses, and builds compassion for other kids and people who have medical difficulties.  The original inspiration for this project came from two wonderful pediatric nurses, Diane Grimm Gates and Penny Pefley.  They suggested a number of topics that would make great songs.  We got together with Bill and together won the 1989 Parent's Choice Award for Best Children's Recording of the Year!  When a child has to be away from familiar places and people in their lives it's hard on them.  The younger a child is, the more painful the separation from parents, family, and home.  The feelings generated by this experience can develop into a sense of loneliness, isolation, depression and sometimes, "problem behaviors" such as refusal to eat, difficulty sleeping, or being uncooperative.  Kids need to know they're important to others and that they're missed, but not forgotten when they're not there.  This album has helped tens of thousands of children and families over the last 34 years.  If you have any ideas about more funding to help get this album into more hospitals and into the hands of kids and families who need it, please get in touch with me at peter@peteralsop.com.  I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now!  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Today our Song To Chew' is SOMETIMES SI, SOMETIMES NO!  from my 'Grow It At Home' album.  It's originally from a DVD I made for the Loma Linda University Medical Center in San Bernardino, California.  We made a video with my songs and stories to entertain andeducate the families of their patients.  Most of their patients are families from local neighborhoods in San Bernardino, that were loaded with violence and drug dealers, gang shootings and bar fights.  The kids live with domestic violence and prostitution right there where they live and go to school.  We wanted to help families learn some skills to help them cope with what they have to contend with every day.  It's difficult to make clear and simple sense out of the complex patterns and experiences we have growing up.  This is where our "Sometimes Si, Sometimes No!" philosophy comes in.  When we understand that life continually has its ups and downs, it becomes clear that there's no point in 'giving up!' As the song says, "that's the way of life!"  The way to a better life is to keep on looking for new solutions!  When we keep trying, things change! Doors open and expose us to ideas we would not have seen if we had given up!  This is how we build the skills we need to survive difficult times. ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our SONG TO CHEW this week is POOP GOES THE WEASEL.  I wrote it to help parents engage their little kids in the process of getting toilet trained.  When I perform this song live, I use a weasel or otter hand puppet to demonstrate as we sing together.  Laughing at poop and fart jokes and anything to do with the toilet seems to appeal much more to guys than to girls.  We probably think they're funny because we're not supposed to talk about this stuff, but it's mostly grown-ups who made up that rule!  Adults are embarrassed and uncomfortable around this subject, but kids seem to love it!  Even if little girls think farting is funny, they almost always grow out of it, but boys still think it's a riot even when we get to be old men!!  I know this song has had an impact in the world.  Lots of parents report that this is their kid's favorite song!  I got a cel phone call from an upset Mom in Florida, who called to complain that she had her son and his friend in the car on the way to pre-school, when "Poop Goes The Weasel" came on the radio.  The boys laughed so hard that her son wet his pants in the backseat! She had to take them home to get dry clothing, before taking them back to school.  She suggested I put a warning on the album to let parents know that this kind of thing may happen in their family too!!  Subscribe to my podcast and I'll see you next week with another ‘Song to Chew'!  ~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts or = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

From my “Chris Moose Holidays” album, our SONG TO CHEW this week is THE TOOTH FAIRY, EASTER BUNNY, SANTA & GOD.  They're all stories that most of us have heard since we were little.  Each of them a bit mysterious and none of them willing to simply show themselves, to prove to us that they're real.  They require some level of belief.  We've seen hints of their existence; a dollar under our pillow, an Easter basket at the end of our bed, or Christmas presents under our tree on Christmas morning, (maybe some cookie crumbs from the cookies and milk we left for Santa on Christmas Eve.)  Each of them a source of great expectations and at times, ... the cause of great disappointments.  Today, we'll chew on the idea that when a story has some spirit that touches you, ... you can hold it in your heart and make it true.  I'm Peter Alsop.  Follow this podcast, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'! ~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts or = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

   Our 'Song To Chew' this week, is NO EXCUSE T'USE BOOZE from my “Stayin' Over” album.  There are an estimated 5.3 million kids under the age of 17 in this country who have a serious drinking problem.  When I wrote this song, 'Honky Boy Pete' popped into my mind, told he was a 'recovering alcoholic' and he wanted to talk to the kids, if I didn't mind.  He explains some of the down-side things that happen when kids and other people drink booze to medicate their painful feelings.  One out of four kids in the U.S. currently live in alcoholic homes, and less than one out of ten gets any information about how to cope with pressures that exist in these homes.  There aren't simple answers to fix things for these kids, but I know that when kids feel 'loved', they find it easier to like themselves.  Unhappy kids who use alcohol to medicate painful feelings, are following examples set by unhappy adults.  Most grown-ups admit that drinking "booze" is not a healthy habit, and yet millions of us still choose to drink alcoholic beverages rather than pick up a glass of water.  As Honky Boy says, "Sometimes life's a drag, an' it's tough t'be a kid, but you'll make it fine without drugs an' booze, lots of other people did!" I'm Peter Alsop.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now!    ~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts or = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our SONG TO CHEW this week, HIGH STANDARDS, was written by my dear friend Bob Blue.  This song was part of my conference presentations and part of my personal story.  Our parents who love us, want us to do the best we can, but sometimes they forget that kids need time to play and relax and explore our relationships.  Getting straight 'A's' in school, doesn't mean we know how to have a happy and meaningful life.  This song models how forgiveness and humor can help us heal and find a healthier story than a repeating self-narrative of "I'm never enough."  We each deserve to be loved for just being alive, regardless of the 'things' we do.  What we do, is NOT who we are.  And when we chase 'perfection', we learn to become "human doings" instead of "human beings".  When we forgive ourselves, we can begin to move ahead in our lives.  I'll see you again next week, with another ‘Song to Chew ~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    This week's 'Song To Chew' is LET 'EM LAUGH from my "Take Me With You!“ album.  One of the toughest things we face as humans is being laughed at and 'shunned' or ridiculed by others.  Usually, the 'butt of the joke' is someone who appears or acts differently than most people.  There's never a good excuse to single someone out for ridicule, especially for differences over which they have no control; like their race or size or their disability or sexual orientation.  And sometimes, we're the 'different person'.  So when other people do this to us, it says much more about their own fears of being rejected, than it does about us!  I wrote this song to model for kids and adults how other people's laughter and teasing can be 'reframed', when we understanding that most of those folks have to look outside of themselves for their sense of self-worth.  That's why other people's opinions of them are so important to them.  It takes a much stronger 'sense-of-self' to look inside, and NOT follow the crowd, and know that 'who we are, and what we're doing is okay!'  I'm so glad you stopped by.  I'll be back again next week with another ‘Song to Chew'!  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://peteralsop.podbean.com  or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our 'Song To Chew' this week is IT'S NO FUN WHEN YA GOTTA EAT AN ONION.  Our individual taste differences are tailored by what we learned to eat with our families when we were little.  If we associate certain foods with comfort and good times, we look forward to having those experiences of chewing and savoring the taste of foods that reminds us of those pleasant times.  It's the stories about our food that set us up for how we behave around our eating habits.  We might not like a story about eating "unformed chicken embryos", or "common fungus", or "sour milk solids", so we tell ourselves a much more pleasant story when we sit down to eat our mushroom and cheese omelet, right?!  How we felt and how we were treated during our eating times can create the tone of our relationship with our food for the rest of our lives! There are lots of kids who say they don't like vegetables, but when those same kids learn to grow, harvest and taste fresh vegetables right out of their garden, they love eating them!  The more we learn to value our different attitudes and stories about our food, the more we can appreciate that our wide range diversities is what makes our lives so full and rich and interesting.  I'm Peter Alsop.  I'll see you again next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Please subscribe or follow this podcast.  Let your friends and family know about these little musical life-lessons, and hopefully, they'll thank you for it!  Bye for now!    ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://peteralsop.podbean.com  or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

    Our Song To Chew this week is FAMILY OF FRIENDS, from my “Uh-Oh!" album. I wrote this song because we each hold a story about our family of origin.  Some of us grew up in a family that was warm and safe.  Some of us had a family that did not 'feel so safe'.  Many of us had a family that was a mix of those two styles.  And some of our families were scattered and hard to define, or we had a number of foster families. It's important to have courageous conversations with our family members if we're upset about something.  It's possible to caringly resolve conflicts so they won't continue to be an impediment to our loving each other.  But we have to make 'the effort'.  We can also form our own 'family of choice' as we get older.  We know that when we have safe places and people around us, we develop and grow new skills in this 'full-of-struggle' world where we live.  Some people believe that life is a school and we're here because we all have lessons to learn.  I like that idea because to have a 'family of friends', we have to work on it, and learn how to do it better, and because we're still learning, if we make a mistake, we can learn how to forgive ourselves and keep on!  Please subscribe to this podcast, so you can listen to SONGS TO CHEW any time!  Bring your family and friends!  I'm Peter Alsop.  Bye for now!   ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://peteralsop.podbean.com  or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads  

    Our Song To Chew this week is LET THE WOMAN IN YOU COME THROUGH from my “Asleep At The Helm” album.  We're trained to perform as others of our birth gender have in the past.  Boys and girls are told stories about how we should behave, and those stories guide us as we mature and grow.  In fact, there are many other stories that might be 'our story', that are much different than the ones we've been taught.  We need freedom to explore our feelings and express our love and attractions if we are to discover our own story.  How else can we figure out how to survive in healthy and balanced ways as we live in our changing world?!  As boys, we've been taught to not cry or express our feelings, or we will appear weak, "womanish" and less powerful, resulting in us 'losing respect' within our community and family.  Our male brains like to define the world in 'black and white' binary terms, so our main defining story has been that we are NOT women!  In fact, when boys cry or act in gentle caring ways, we are called "sissies", as though comparing us to someone's sister is the worst insult we could be given!  Fortunately, things have been changing.  Now I wouldn't say, "Let the woman in you come through", because men can be just as caring and gentle as women, when we make the effort to do so.  It can be scary to explore and learn about ourselves as our sexuality and gender unfolds, but if we want to discover who we truly are, we must have the courage to risk facing our fears.  ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://peteralsop.podbean.com  or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

WAS ST. PAT SCARED?  Let's listen to our "Song To Chew" for today and find out!  This song's from my “Grow It At Home” album, to help us understand how we humans have taken over most of the world by eliminating any other creatures that threaten us or our expansion.  The Irish myth about St. Patrick, 'ridding Ireland of all the snakes' is a wonderful place to start this discussion.  It's 'fear' that drives us to completely wipe out some other living species, rather than finding some way to share space with them.  Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was a real person who lived in the 5th century. He came to Ireland to proselytize for Christianity.  One of the biggest myths in his 'story', is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea.  The fact is that there never were any snakes in Ireland for St. Patrick to banish!  The event that banished any snakes that might have been in Ireland, was the Ice Age that ended 10,000 years ago.  When children hear this myth, they ask, "Did he have to get rid of ALL the snakes?"  The storyline is a familiar one, so let's listen to the song, and we'll 'chew on it', and see if we can figure out some less violent ways to behave when we're afraid, because as the song says, "we can crush all the spiders with books, y'know, but killing them's kind of a crime.  Cause all life is sacred!"   If we don't recognize that we need to take of this 'Garden of Eden', we don't get to stay!  I'm Peter Alsop.  Subscribe, listen to the podcast, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew'.  Bye for now! ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://peteralsop.podbean.com  or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads

This week our SONG TO CHEW is "WHAT IF?"  When we don't understand what's going on around us, we create stories to explain what might be going on!  And that's when our over-active imaginations take off and amplify our worst fears.  This process can stop us in our tracks and make things worse!  So, this song takes a look at how we can change our stories, and our reactions, and learn how to 'respond' instead of 'react'.  Most of us don't like to admit that we're scared, (especially us men and boys), but the stories we tell ourselves about what's going on, are often much more frightening than the reality of the situation!  So how do we stop feeling frightened?  Instead of dwelling on our fears, we can lighten things up with some humor to help us get through what's going on.  It's true!  The stories that scare us, or disempower us, or push our 'buttons', can be changed!  We can actually learn to pause, look at what's going on around us, and then respond in a more balanced way.  When my brain is full of fear, I'm not thinking straight, but if I can think of silly or ridiculous things to inject into my story, I make myself laugh, and that simple change helps me see options that I never would have seen, if I'd stayed locked in my fears!  And it's something we can practice doing!  Just because something's serious, doesn't mean it's not funny! I'm Peter Alsop.  Please let your friends know about this podcast, and I'll see you again next week with another ‘Song to Chew'. ~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or https://peteralsop.podbean.com  or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop  = videos ~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop  = support my music & other artistic endeavors ~ www.peteralsop.com/music  = CDs & downloads