Ages ago when I was in college and living with roommates a trend was developing (or maybe it was on its downward spiral...not sure; it was the Mixed CD trend. People would download songs from the internet and put them on a CD, give them a funny or descriptive name telling the type and content of the songs on the disc. This was free for quite a while but has since become a major legal issue of stealing songs - but back then it was free and fun. My roommates and I would make lists upon lists of songs we liked of a certain genre and then we would troop over to a friend's computer who had the capabilities of burning the CD and we would have this great mix of songs we loved. Since then Ipods have developed and MP3 players on our phones, etc. Well, I still have all of my mixed CD's and I treasure them as the best collection of music ever! With the purchase of my new car (after the unfortunate demise of the other car) I knew that I must have a CD player and was thrilled when this wish came true and I had a player in my new car. I have been jamming quite a bit with different CD's I have had for ages and the other day I unearthed the collection of Mixed CD's, here are a few of their titles: The Penguin, Leslie's Mix, Leslie Fish, Lovey Dovey Mix, The best songs ever, Our Songs... and I could go on for a while.
There is something about these CD's that just transports me back to that stage of my life. All the feelings that surrounded being in school and living with friends. Those were such amazing times and I will always cherish them. And everytime I pop in a Mixed CD I can relive a little bit of that time. This morning as I was driving to work and unabashedely singing my heart out (to the utter enjoyment of my passers-by) I felt like I was driving to class or hanging out at someone's house before we went out, on my way to the YMCA for my afternoon with the preschoolers, sitting in the computer lab working on a project, walking to class from our house on Ramsey - dodging the ducks at Theta Pond, leading a Kappa Phi meeting, "With thoughts of Kappas far and near....". These disks are like a time warp for me. How does music do that? It just transports you doesn't it. The same is true for high school - if I hear Westlife or N'SYNC all I think about is driving to Pryor with Heather after the obligatory stop at Sonic. I can't hear Bryan Adams without cracking up about Kristin's Birthday where we performed (sadly it is on film so the visual will never leave me either), I will never sit in an Olive Garden without hearing the background music and silently willing it to play that hilarious song about vegetables that kept Heather and I from even tasting our food for a full 1/2 hour of uncontrollable laughter.
Music is so huge to me. It does so much to lift my spirits or remind me of different times whether they be happy or sad. Amazing Grace always reminds me of a funeral although I know that is so far from it's intention. Out of My League by Stephen Speaks will always remind me of a boy who broke my heart. I loved her first by Heartland will always put me back in my Dad's arms as we danced at my wedding. The Man in Love with you by George Strait will always make my heart swell with love for my husband and Colbie Calliat's Bubbly will forever remind me of cutting the cake on my wedding day and the flitting of those butterflies in my stomach and sparkles in my eye.
I know why we worship our God in song, because nothing opens the heart and the mind to give and receive more than beautiful melodies and carefully scripted words of praise.
I'm sure everyone is picking up what I am laying down here. So sing into your hairbrush all you want - I know I do!
That reminds me - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper will always remind me of my time at Ray Bean Camp in Texas where I was a drama teacher and counselor, we had a big sleepover one night in our Activity Cabin and I lead 14 dancing and signing 7-9 years old all the way through the camp and into the cabin heavily armed with bandanas on our heads and our hairbrushes to our lips belting, "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fu - un! That's all we really wannnnnaaannnnnnnt!!!". It was a scene my friends.
