Taken Back

Music has defined a lot of my life.  I remember listening to my tape player with my best friend Marcy, on their trampoline.  We would jump/choreograph dances to the Disney Aladdin Soundtrack, and Micheal W. Smith for hours.  Of course as soon as you turn 10 music becomes the way you can express yourself, so TLC and Alanis Morrisett, were on repeat.  I began playing the clarinet in 6th grade, and that started a new love for music for the years to come. 

There are times now that the '90's music is played on the radio again.  I am not sure if to take this to mean I have "officially" become old. I mean to have a genre of music now given a title, like the '70's or '80's, which admittedly I have called the "oldies" before.  I have to admit hearing this music again places memories of the past back in the light. I am vividly sent back to a time, specific to that song playing in the background. 

The one that did it for me today, was technically a 2001 piece.  It was Your Song from the Moulin Rouge Movie Soundtrack.  I loved that movie, and my two best friends had the same love.  We listened to the soundtrack and watched the movie through our senior year of high school.

Today I was taken back to my '91 champagne colored Saturn.  The sun was setting, and we were on the highway.  Jacob and I were driving through the southern part of Michigan, headed west, back to Zeeland.  We had just spend two days, alone, on our first over night trip together to Cedar Point Amusement Park.  We had graduated almost a month ago, and had just gotten back from our 2 week trip to Kenya, Africa.  Jacob was leaving for the Army in a week, and I was off to orientation at college in a day.  We were still so innocent.  We had gotten both our parents permission for the overnight trip, and paid for the entire thing ourselves.  We had a hotel room, with two twin beds.  I think we both knew when we got back to Zeeland our lives were going to change in a big way.  But neither one of us talked about it the entire trip. 

It was on the highway, driving home that we listened to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.  Both of us knew every word, if Jacob ever wanted to admit it or not.  But that day he sang at the top of his lungs the entire male part of Your Song.  I remember listening to him sing, and sitting back in the passenger seat and letting the sun hit my face.  I remember I couldn't stop smiling.  When the female's part entered I was right on cue.  Blame it on being in the car for too long, being exhausted from two days at the amusment park, or just being slap happy, but when the song ended neither one of us could stop laughing.  So the best thing to do....well hit repeat and did it all again.  I can't tell you how many times that song went through the speakers on the way home.  But I can say that song means so much more to me because of that trip. 

It was a time in life where I didn't see it as super special, or out of the ordinary, but hearing that song again brought me straight back to that highway. I can say it made me really appreciate all the years Jacob and I have had together.  We are only 28 and have known each other since we were 11.  Over half of my life I have been making small memories with him. 

I don't know why this song was what triggered this thought of appreciation, and awe, but it did.  It was really nice being taken back to such a great memory.  It makes me thankful for where all those memories have brought/shaped where I am today. 

Maybe a '90's music station isn't that bad of an idea.  I could revisit wonderful times from the past on a regular basis.