Immediately I started smiling.
I was transported back to 1980 or 1981. the Summer. And the neighborhood gang. There was Trudy and her sister Cathy, myself, Jeff, Jessica and her brother Coley, Susan, and Kelly, who was a guy. We all were in our mid teens or so, hung out together, played together, spent all our time together.
Each summer, the last week before school started, the carnival came to town. We'd go down as a group and hang out together, wasting money on the games, eating the food, talking to friends we ran into, but never riding the rides. Since they were erected in like an afternoon, no WAY were they safe!
One year, Kelly's family had a hot tub installed on thier back patio. And one afternoon, while the carnival was in town, we all piked into it. We had sodas and snacks and sat in the bubbling hottub and loved life.
And we had a radio playing. We were listening to whatever songs were coming on amidst our talking. And Billy Joel's "My Life" came on. Trudy, who actually had a nice voice, started singing along. Before the song ended, all of us were crooning at the top of our lungs.
Later, after the sun set, we got out, dried off, dressed and headed out to the carnival. We were there, walking around, and suddenly, the music that was being blared over the speakers (in between sets of the crappy live band they had playing) changed to "My Life" by Billy Joel! And once more, Trudy started, and we all eventualy joined in! We didn't sing well, but we sang with quite a bit of enthusiasm, not caring what kinda sight we might have been making! it was just unbridled fun and joy.
And with that thought on my mind, I sang my heart out to the song on the radio. once more, not terribly well, but quite enthusiastically! And I was all smiles all the way home.
POLT
I've always thought being a gay social conservative was not unlike being a black Klansman. - Leonard Pitts
4 comments:
Sounds like fun times.
Lets see, in the summer of 1979 I was fifteen years old. The music of course was still disco, R&B, etc.
The city was a carnival in and of itself for kids like us. There was no end to the trouble we could get ourselves into and our of.
And I was the kid who had the pool. That was fun. Hot summer days, nice cool water, hot music. Yeah, and that was when my little thing started with neighbor boy, you know, the one that lasted until I was 18.
Yeah, we must be about the same age... Take care sweetie. *hugs* no matter what.
I remember being young and the carnival coming to town. It was Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album that blared across the park. It was a time I would love to live over and over again.
It is cool how music can bring back a shitload of memories, so good, some not so good. It is like our brains are hardwired for one brief moment in history, very cool.
I am glad it was a warm and wonderful memory for you.
Onanite
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