The Soundtracks of Our Lives

You know that song that you hear out of the blue and it suddenly takes you back? How about that song that you just can't help getting misty eyed over or the one that makes you want to stand up and dance....no matter what you are doing? Those songs have a name. They are called the soundtrack of your life. I had no idea. It is amazing the knowledge you can amass from the internet. What's more....unless you have lived without music your entire life....then you too have a life soundtrack.

For me....music has always played a huge part in my life. From the earliest times I can remember....music was in my home. As a very young child you could often hear Johnny Mathis, the Andrews Sisters, the Platters, Frank, Dean and Nat coming from our house. My mother too loved music and these artists were definitely a huge part of her soundtrack. We also listened to our fair share of 60's and 70's country....when country actually sounded country. 

As a child I was also introduced to musicals by both my parents. Coming out of the 40's and 50's....musicals were a natural listening progression for them....but for me.......they were magical! I remember the first musical I ever saw was the Sound of Music. As I sat there glued to my seat and fixated on the huge colorful screen ahead....I simply could not take it all in enough. To this day that music is so special to me. Following the Sound of Music, there was Oklahoma, Carousel and one of my all time favorites....West Side Story. I can still get chills when I hear that opening sequence and the snapping begins. As corny as it sounds....that kind of music did and still does do something amazing to my soul. 

Speaking as someone who sounds like a wounded animal that needs to be shot when I sing....it never deterred me from cranking the tunes and singing along and I am sure my family appreciated my morning shower solo's. As I grew and what I listened to became my choice, you could hear a mish mash of southern rock, still a little country and a lot of 70's pop coming from my room or the basement....wherever I happened to have a radio. Then there was DISCO!!!! While it was popular to hate the stuff, there are few that can refrain from wanting to shake their groove thing when the Bee Gee's, Donna Summer or Earth, Wind and Fire come on.

Then there was the 80's. Again....this decade gets a lot of haters....and yet it was a glorious decade (at least music wise) for me. Country changed and Alabama stole my heart. Rock changed too as did some of the artists. I became infatuated with music by everyone from Billy Idol, Van Halen and ZZ Top to Heart, Kenny Loggins and Pure Prairie League. My taste in music had no bounds until......hip hop. I never liked hip hop and I hated rap. It seemed over night that these styles of music took over MTV and for a decade....country was my only friend. I used to swear that my older kids had it in for me when they would blast the likes of Jay Z, Tupac and the Beastie Boys. Do you think my mom felt the same way when I played Meatloaf and AC/DC?????

Finally....when Z became old enough to choose his own music...my tastes began to change again. Also....I will admit that the show Glee has changed my view on certain music and artists. More than once a song has been on Glee that I thought I really didn't like....but after actually hearing the words....it wasn't too bad. The fact that Z sings constantly and his tastes range from punk to rap, country to rock and old to new.....I have been schooled in just about every type of music there is. Some that I didn't even know existed. What's more amazing is....I have found that I like a little something in all of it. Yes....even rap. 

So why all this music and life soundtrack talk? Well...I was driving home from the store just a bit ago and on the radio came Brooks and Dunn's Red Dirt Road. Immediately I was transported back to a day in Missouri...several years ago. I was driving down the road with Z and my niece Taylor in the back seat. They were about 7 and 8 at the time and Red Dirt Road came on the radio. They both in unison began to sing. They knew every word and they were actually very good. Maybe it was the being related thing but they sounded so good together and they were both so serious singing. I was mesmerized and I remember my eyes tearing up as I thought to myself...."Now this is a memory you will never forget!" I was right because every time I hear that song I am right back there in that car with those two beautiful voices singing with all they had. I still tear up at the thought.

There is nothing like a song to take you back. For just a few moments you can actually relive a memory. It brings back sight, sound and smell and suddenly the present is gone and you are somewhere else completely. It is these songs that are the soundtracks of our lives.