Life Songs

My friends and family always laugh at me because I can't help naming where I lived when a certain song came out for the first time. Hey, I am sorry! We moved around soooo much when I was younger (my dad was in the army) and although I can't remember all of my teachers and such - I can usually close my eyes and remember where I was, or what I was doing when I first heard certain songs. I can go back to when I was really young and lived in El Paso, TX. I had a stuffed poodle dog and it was a radio. I would blast it real loud when I'd hear "Somebody's Knockin' on the Door", I also remember having a friend whose brother was totally into Foreigner. Whenever he'd play, I think it was called, "Hot Blooded"-we'd all jump up and go crazy and sing along until we collapsed on the floor. Then I lived in Pennsylvania for a little while and remember listening to "Another One Bites the Dust". I lived with my grandparents for a year and it was my aunts record. I was only in the 3rd grade and thought the words were "I neverwanna go to the docta"...what on earth? In Colorado it was "Jessie's Girl" and "Double Dutch Bus". Then we were in Alabama and I remember we'd drive to Panama City Beach in Florida on the weekends. I was allowed to bring a friend and we'd turn up my boom box and sing every word to Abracadabra, Jack and Diane, and Centerfold. I look back now and think that I had no business listening to some of those songs! LOL! Remember Pack Man Fever? Anyway, fast forward to Frankfurt, Germany. I actually lived there for 6 years! A lifetime for me in those days!! Of course a lot of songs come to mind, but I specifically remember getting into the Madonna craze and Prince. Remember the lace headbands and cut-off finger gloves? My friends and I couldn't get enough of Purple Rain - the whole thing, Duran Duran, and what would YOU answer if I said "Who you gonna call?" You know you just answered! We used to go rollerskating on Fridays and I remember skating to Michael Jackson's, "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", on the school bus it was "Cum On Feel the Noise", by Quiet Riot.....Okay well all of those songs are special to me, but now what I will focus on is this last year. It was a rough one! During the summer we were really going through a lot of changes. It seemed to us that we were just forsaken by all...except God. We knew that He was always there. What we learned during those rocky days is that God gave us each other. Everyone and everything else seemed to be stripped away from us. It may have been our decision to walk away from all of it, but it didn't make it any easier! Well, we stuck together and funny thing is - the radio kept playing a song that probably wore on everyone's nerves. It made us smile and became our summer "anthem". It was "Had A Bad Day". Anytime it would come on, my girls would yell - "turn it up" and then we'd all sing it loud and proud. It helped us to laugh. I also discovered a new singer named Corinne Bailey Rae. I heard "Put Your Records On" and I knew this was MY song. It just cheered me up and made me realize that I don't have to try to be someone that I am not! That was sooooo liberating! One more song that really stands out in my mind is "Stained Glass Masquerade" by Casting Crowns. I had never really listened to the words, just liked the song in general. My husband made some comment saying that it reminded him of our last church and when I really listened it reminded me of a lot of PEOPLE that I know. That is so sad-but true! Oh! One more song that always puts a smile on my face is "Just Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Vassar. Me and my dh get a good laugh from that because we know it is so true!