Magic of Music

I have an uncomfortable commute to work. I'd call it bad or icky or horrid, but I know others have it worse than I do. My commute is 45 minutes -- 37 miles -- into the sun, morning and night. I usually pass the time talking to my mom or catching up with DH without the interruption of kids, but occasionally, I just groove to the music.

Today, the radio brought back all sorts of memories. Like a slide show of my past, song after song brought new images to mind.

"Party like it's 1999"... dude, I DID party like it's 1999 in 1999. We had been married about 6 months, out of college for about 7 months. Friends of ours were getting married the next day, and we all hit Aggieville for THE New Year's Party of Our LIVES! I remember dancing and dancing and drinking from a 2-foot-tall beer...which we still have in our basement. It was one of those moments that, even as it was happening, you knew it would be unforgettable.

"Like a Candle in the Wind." Ah, Elton John. And Ryan White. Ryan had AIDS. He was one of the first people, definitely first kid, to go public with his battle with AIDS. He taught us so much about the disease and defined grace, all before he reached 15.

"Zoot Suit Riot"...Jay and I won a silly dance contest with that song. Back in the day, we could really cut a rug. Now I sound 80 years old, but it's true. We'd dance every night we went to the bar, and while we were dating, that was usually 3 nights a week. No, we weren't alcoholics...well, he wasn't. We were in college, living blocks from Aggieville, and living life to its fullest.

It makes me smile to think about it.

Now, my song memories are "Brown-eyed girl" and "Good morning beautiful", "You are my sunshine" and "You Belong With Me" and the memories are just as sweet.

I love how life transitions from one phase to another without you even noticing, each phase with its own highlights. I feel melancholy when I think of the speed with which it is passing. But you can't stop life, so you might as well enjoy it.