An Ode to Sammy Rae and the Friends & The Girl Who Just Bought My Coffee Table

I am in my own lane I will not let myself downI am in my own place, I am my own houseI’m sitting on my living room floor on a chilly January Sunday. I just sold a coffee table I’ve never really liked, to a recent college graduate who loves it. She’s furnishing her first New York City apartment.I’ve been wanting to sell this table for a while, so I’m thrilled that it’s finally sold. And yet, I imagined I’d still be a little sad to walk back into my apartment and see the empty space where the table used to be. I was prepared to hold space for all the emotions.I walked back to my apartment and all I felt was relief, peace, and gratitude.I played Living Room Floor because these lyrics are now more appropriate than ever.Ain’t it something?Sitting cross-legged ‘cause we haven’t got a table yetsaving up gonna get a few chairs, get a whole setand I got my bed and my closet and a living room floorI got a living room floorand I got it deep down in my soulI also felt pretty damn excited and proud of myself, so I played this song next.Let’s throw a party! Somebody’s turning thirtyOoh and we ain't looked this good since we don’t even know since whenLet’s throw a party! I finally made some moneyOoh, and can you dig it, baby? I finally dig myself againAs I was lounging on my living room floor, singing along, contemplating whether or not booking a flight to Europe to see The Friends in concert is realistic, I heard Sammy Rae say this at the end of Let’s Throw a Party,Silver Spring, Maryland we love you so much. Thank you.Guess where the girl I just sold my coffee table graduated from a few months ago?Maryland.How magical is that?I just shared the story above with some friends in a group chat - and immediately wanted to share it with you too.I’m proud to say that I turned these friends into Sammy and The Friends fans after an incredible dance party.At the last Friends concert I went to (I’ve been to 4), Sammy Rae said that if you’ve never heard their music before - you should listen to this one first. I’ll add that you should watch the music video because it really gives you a sense of the Friends vibe.Once you’ve listened to that song (and have fallen in love with them), I recommend going back to the beginning and listening to Jackie Onassis*, Whatever We Feel, Kick It To Me, and of course, the songs I’ve mentioned above (Living Room Floor + Let’s Throw a Party) before sinking your teeth into the new album, Something For Everbody. *this song was the beginning of my bisexual awakeningMaybe you’ll find some new songs that will become the soundtrack for some of your life’s biggest moments too.And yes, I do consider selling my coffee table a big life moment. Money is tight right now, and I used part of the $ from this sale to pay my therapist, who I cannot wait to tell this story.If you’re looking for some fun new stuff for your closet, kitchen, and more (want a peloton?) Stay tuned for an upcoming essay where I’ll be talking about some more things that I’m selling + the inspiration behind my virtual garage sale of sorts.I’ll leave you with the lyrics from Coming Home Song I quoted in the intro of my book.Doing alright ain't a damn crimeFeeling it all for the first timeAnd you're just getting into your primeLeave a light on for yourselfPS This entire moment is brought to you by Marc Milone who introduced me to Sammy Rae and The Friends! Marc sent me Whatever We Feel out of the blue, and then I kept listening to the queue, and Jackie Onassis came on, and then they were like, “Wait, I only know that one song!” and now we are both obsessed. Marc is going on a BIG BIG exciting life adventure tomorrow, and I would be remiss if I didn’t use this shoutout to send them all the good vibes and love possible. It is truly the stuff of dreams. If you could send some great energy their way too - that would mean the world to me. Marc, I love you, DEEP. You’ve got this. Couldn’t be prouder of you. Don’t know where I’d be without you. Go crush it. PPS Check out my new substack, Beyond January! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenuancediaries.substack.com/subscribe