Turn it up...

Isn’t it funny how our lives are set to music? How we can hear a song and immediately be taken back to a certain time or place in our lives. I love music. I love all kinds of music, but I would say I’m a country music fan at heart. I’m not ashamed of it, though there have been times in my life that I haven’t openly discussed my country music choices, for fear that others would think I’m an uneducated, back-woods, beer-drinkin’, redneck.

My high school years were full of Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks. My friends and I decided to be Alan Jackson groupies. We went to concerts and stalked his tour bus, and one of us even ripped our jeans when we bent over to pick up his guitar pick (I’m not naming names, though I’m wondering if Gretchen still has that guitar pick). We drove through town blaring the “Chattahoochie” and singing loudly (a lovely sound, I’m sure, as three of us practically failed chorus). As I reread those last few sentences, I can see why we might have been considered uneducated, back-woods, rednecks.

My music tastes expanded greatly during the summers when I was a lifeguard at a local lake. We played cards, flirted, and got the perfect tans (and saved a few lives along the way) all while listening to The Eagles and the Steve Miller Band. Just hearing “The Joker” or “Seven Bridges Road” takes me right back to those lazy summer days at the lake.

My college roommates were not country music fans and instead of Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks, they introduced me to 10,000 Maniacs, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant, Jewel, ABBA, Rusted Root, and Simon and Garfunkle. We spent our college days with Natalie Merchant telling us “These are the Days,” and ABBA reminding us that we were the “Dancing Queen.” And our road trip song was always, always “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkle. I still feel the need to crank up the radio to deafening levels every time I hear that song, reminding me of our girls’ only road trips. Those were good times.

Then this crazy, wild guy entered my life (aka, Steve) and introduced me to Jimmy Buffet. How could I have made it through 21 years without knowing “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise?” My wedding gift to Steve was a set of overly priced (scalped on the internet) concert tickets to see the chief Parrothead himself. Romantic wedding gift, huh?

Some songs have traveled through life with me. My mom’s favorite song is Bette Middler’s “The Rose.” It was the background to my senior dance recital piece and it played during my wedding ceremony. Other songs just randomly showed up, like the background music in an etoys commercial many years ago. I loved the music and quickly learned that it was Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” I tracked down the CD, gave it to my uncle and my cousin (two very talented musicians) and begged them to perform it on my wedding day.

Not long after that, we were introduced to upbeat Christian music. I suspect some of our friends would laugh at the thought of Steve and I singing Christian music, but sing it we did (and still do). When we were struggling to have a baby, those songs about God’s love and promises always made the tears start streaming down my face. I was broken and hurt and I just prayed that God would see us through this hard time. Now, I rock my sweet little girls and sing “Blessed be the Name” and “Amazing Love.” The tears still come, but this time they are tears of joy and gratitude.

Music has such an incredible way of connecting us to places and people. It can remind us of a high school boyfriend, a wild summer, our college apartment, a road trip to the beach, the first time we met our husband. It can make us laugh at our college antics and cry over the amazing blessings God has given us.

Today, while listening to my favorite country station, Kate said “Mommy, turn it up.” Whether it’s redneck country or beach bum Buffet, rockin’ Christian Music or something slow and sentimental…turn it up, indeed.