so I began this piece intending to elaborate upon the music I grew up with and the memories I associate with certain songs….

It turns out, that I must seque to the NOW…in order the explain the THEN.

I have a daughter…(newsflash for those who don’t know me!) who is six years of age. And she can sing yet still struggles to find the beat (and good Lord, you should Google songs that include that word in the title!)

Anyways, I have found myself playing Pandora (if she were a woman I’d marry her) with very selective song lists just so that I can teach my girl how to find and follow and live for then die for a beat in certain songs.

Not quite literally, for those of you who’ve found my blog unwittingly (is there a term for blog-crashers?) and tend to err on the side of humor and common sense impaired…

No offense, but you do exist. And to you I’m not funny. And if you’re reading this and are not laughing, I’m speaking to you. You should leave. And never read me again.

I digress and I apologize.

In regards to my daughter, she is a free spirit and a natural dancer. She loves music. But she tends to love music through which she can hear and understand a story. And even more so if she hears her Mama singin’ it karaoke in the kitchen while cooking. Last night I taught her the beauty behind lip-syncing and it brought back memories of certain friends on the river and the song “Secret Agent Man” by Johnny Rivers….

There is no explanation possible. It’s a matter of you had to be there…

Anyways, back to the NOW. I realized that most of who I am and my memories are backed up by a soundtrack like that of any movie. Ask me a day or specific defining moment in my life and I can recite the song and artist that accompanies it. It defies reason or explanation, my ability to remember melodies and lyrics. It seems that the human brain is infinite in its ability to memorize and later recall such details.

If only I could delegate my memorization powers to other items, which are more relevant to daily living, in order to facilitate my regular success. But then, one must ask, what is success? Is it checking off all the boxes of a list known only to you? Or is it having a home that is spotless and kids that are not heard from…..(don’t blast that poor grammar….it makes a point dammit.)

I say screw the check marks in the boxes.

What completed list can overwhelm the memory of dancing with your child to Sam Cooke in the kitchen?

What does it matter if your house isn’t spotless when you over hear your child touting your abilities to sing any song that come onto the radio?

In her eyes I am the Goddess of Music, and I owe all of that to my father and grandfather and two grandmothers….four very special persons who shared with me their very favorite songs and memories. And because of them I am able to inspire another generation with music and melodies and lyrics and memories.

Dad, you will always be a part of the music in me. To this day, our combined love of music, some similar and some not, connects us across distance. And through this magic I am able to teach my daughter how to stay connected with her family and ancestors across many divides.

It all became possible when I stole your case of personal cassette tapes. And I thank you for that.