80's Music

Growing up, I didn't listen to a lot of current music - I preferred oldies - bubble gum, 50's K-Earth 101, listening to mom and dad's records, picking out my favorite songs... Close to you, One Tin Soldier, The Twist, The Lion Sleeps Tonight...

So 80's music, well, I never really knew, could never really sing along, never really considered this music a part of my life...

But music, well, music isn't really like that for me. Music gets inside of me, it sets a mood, it reminds me of things... like scents... music makes me nostalgic.

Without me even realizing it, 80's music filled my blood, carved a place in the time line of my life. It played in the background at the malls when I went Christmas shopping, it played in the movies I went to see with my family, with my cousin Betty, and eventually, alone with my friends. It played at Bullwinkle's fountain show, on TV commercials, at Knott's Berry Farm's shows in the Good Time Theater, on the radio in other people's cars. 80's music was all around me.

So now, when I'm driving to work, and 80's music comes on, I get slightly annoyed - because in general, I like to sing along, and as mentioned, I can't sing along to most 80's tunes - but there is something about the commonality of 80's music that floods me with memories - and makes it so hard to turn the dial. How could this music that I spent a decade actively ignoring have such a powerful impact on me?

Because I hear it... and I'm in grade school again, twirling in my uniform jumper, running barefoot at the park, playing "traffic," on my bike with Tammy, creating stage shows with the neighbors, The band I made with Sarah, The spy game with the colored badges, sneaking up the neighbors trees, eating waffles with peanut butter and syrup with Danny D., and of course, unending laps at the roller rink....

Nostalgia, so powerful.