Musical Me

When I was a young kid, I was very into music. I mean, I was into music to the point of being obnoxious. But it was a wonderful time for me. To love something that much is a rare thing. I pretty steadily maintained that infatuation with music until I was oh, around 30. Then due to various circumstances (including being mated to someone who didn't like the same music as me so I couldn't listen freely), I stopped listening for awhile. Then when that relationship ended, I got back into music for several years. It was as intense as it ever had been. My love at that time was dance music. Then again, I stopped listening, for more or less the same reasons as before. This pattern has repeated itself a number of times. Currently, I've been back into music again, but not to the same degree as in the past. :-(

But back to when I was young. Music was the most important thing in my life, and this goes to as far back as I can remember, probably to when I was five or six years old. It continued through high school, college and beyond. As soon as I was old enough to have a radio, I always had one with me, often times glued right to my ear. I used to listen to my radio that way when my family was having dinner. I would have the radio up to my ear so I didn't have to miss one second of the music. Thinking back, I must have really been obnoxious.

So much of my childhood memories are tied to a certain song or songs. I remember goofing off on the front porch during the day and listening to "Groovin" by the Rascals. I remember reading on the hammock in the side yard to "My Cherie Amour" and "What Does It Take" by Junior Walker and the All-Stars. I remember listening to Trav Rupert on - can't remember the call letters - a Hagerstown station at night on the front porch and listening to WLS in Chicago in my bedroom. Later, when I was out of high school, I remember riding my bike (with my radio, of course) and listening to "Chuck E's In Love." I recall so many Motown songs and Tommy James and CSNY and so many others when I was a kid. Because I had older sisters, I guess I got exposed to music I might not otherwise have listened to. I just know it was all I thought about.

Another thing: I knew every single word of all of those songs I grew up with - from the Motown and rock 'n roll when I was a real little kid to all the stuff I listened to when I was in college. I mean I knew EVERY SINGLE WORLD. Still do. When I hear those tunes, I can still sing along as if it were yesterday.

In high school, I actually got a job - at the FBC department store - mostly so I could afford to buy albums. Some of the first records I bought with what I earned were "Can't Buy a Thrill" by Steely Dan and the Captain something or other by the Doobie Brothers (it had "Long Train Running" and some others).

In college, it got worse, believe it or not. But that's Part II.