Good grief. Ever had one of those weeks (or years for that matter) where you seem to roll out on the wrong side of bed every day? It's as if everything that could go wrong, does.

When I was a kid, I loved the book "The Little Engine That Could." Maybe I love it because of the whole idea that you can accomplish anything when you believe in yourself. Perhaps, it's the ending where the underdog overcomes the odds.

I feel like I can relate to the underdog. I think I morphed into one after my divorce and became a single woman again. Most days, I wear the underdog cape and I'm quite happy doing so. As an independent musician, you have to make your own way and it's a lot of work and luckily, I love it. I chug along just like that little blue engine on my musical journey taking music to all corners of the country.

But, there are days when I don't feel like being the underdog. I get out of bed only to find that there are fires to put out, relationships that need attention, chores around the house, music to practice and no quiet place to do so, calls to make, e-mails to return and if I'm really lucky, I get to deal with all of this while having PMS. It makes me want to grab a good book and head to bed. Maybe the thing that bothers me the most is that when I was younger, I could do exactly that. Now, I'm officially an adult and can no longer hide from the world when I want to.

Fortunately, the challenging times pass as we push on, full steam ahead, up the hills and into a valley where we can step into the sunshine to enjoy the rewards of hard work. Perhaps we can then remove the underdog cape, pour a glass of wine and then, take a nap.