Curious Incidents of a Flailing Mermaid

Good Enough [Barrel of Monkeys]

Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Good Enough, which was on the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album (1993/4)



Good Enough is one of those songs that I've always loved but never really paid that much attention to. But I remember listening to it in the Paralympic Village in Beijing 2008.

The Beijing 2008 Paralympics were bittersweet for me. I had the best time but also the worst time.

I had a severely wrecked shoulder - wow, it was so painful - and some sports politics was going on that screwed up my chances of getting a gold medal. Long story.

On the last day, once all the racing was done, most people went sightseeing for the day. But I was in so much pain that even the idea of going out made me feel sick. So, I just stayed in my room, reading and listening to music.

This song came on, and it made me feel like what I'd just done was good enough. Nope, nothing had gone to plan, but a Paralympic silver medal was good enough.

It just so happened that my roommate arrived back just as the song was ending, and her first words were:

"Oh, geez, have you been lying around, listening to sappy music, feeling sorry for yourself all day?"


I laughed because, yes, technically, I had. But I felt better for it.


It’s not the wind that cracked your shoulder
And threw you to the ground
Who’s there that makes you so afraid?
You’re shaken to the bone
And no, I don’t understand
You deserve so much more than this