Music Memory Monday #1

Every culture has it's own traditions. I grew up Mormon and as late night TV will attest, Mormons have a lot of unique traditions. Jell-O, 'secret underwear', multiple-wives, etc.

However there is one tradition of Mormonism that goes untouched by the outside jokes. And while it is prime for humor it is one tradition that is adored - especially by me. Some may mock it, but sure enough, when they turned 14 they too were dying to participate. In fact, when my best friend TJ was here I was so tempted to try and find one just so that we could go.

Dances!!

Oh my friends. These are not your ordinary dance experiences like a prom or a college homecoming. The first difference between the two would be the people. At a prom or college homecoming you expect the same group of people to go to each one. At an LDS Church dance the crowd is as varied as a flurry of winter snowflakes. Economical, sociological, improvisational, and even theological differences all blend in to form one body, movin' and groovin' to the same, often 80's era, music.

I loved LDS dances. I was so excited to turn 14 so that I could go. Thrilled to find the first one in college. And even more thrilled to drag my friends weekly to the myriad of dances all over the valley throughout college. Especially when they were at Saltair. That meant hundreds of bodies crammed together for the joy of dance.

So it is fitting that my first Music Memory Monday begins with a memory from a dance in high school.

It must of been my sophomore year of high school - I'm not really sure. What I am sure of is that all through the night a certain young man, we'll call him Dan, kept asking me to dance. Now, I wasn't a snob in high school (at least not that I remember) but I did have my moments. I did NOT want to dance with Dan. Multiple times he asked...and multiple times I found an excuse to say decline.

Towards the end of a song (and the night) TJ, Amber and I saw Dan moving towards us. We attempted to move but couldn't get through the people. Dan came up and asked me again to dance, just as a new song came on...

If You Leave by OMD.

This is one of those strange songs that is neither slow nor fast. I told Dan we couldn't dance because it wasn't a slow song. His response "We can make it slow." No joke! I was stuck. I had no way to get out.

So we danced.

And every time they said 'I touched you once' he touched me once, and every time they said 'I touched you twice' he touched me twice. And of course, every time they said 'I won't let go at any price' he'd pull me close.

It was hilarious! I tried so hard not to laugh but the minute the song was over, I admit I all-but-ran to my friends to spill.

Even now, I cannot help but giggle like a girl with the memory of it.

Now you too can take yourself back to whatever memories you find with this song:

Music Memory Monday Intro

I figured that a great way to help me blog consistently would be to have some 'themes'. I think in the blog world they are sometimes called 'memes' but since I am not tagging anyone else to do them, we're just going to stick with 'theme'.

In preparation for the road trip I was going to take with my best-friend TJ (which never happened, sniff, sniff) I gathered up a collection of my music for us to groove to in the car. It is quite an eclectic collection - one that I am quite proud of. In compiling songs to listen to in the car packed with our four kids I had moments of flashback where the world around me seemed to sink into the past. Bright, vivid memories flashed before me as I listened to song after song after song. This isn't unique.

Many of us recall our memories through music. Either we attach the memory to the song or the song triggers a thought which triggers the memory. Plenty of studies have been done confirming this link. Still, I barely remember anything so when a song comes on and my mind hits the rewind time button, I am giddy. I figured, what better way to capture my memories than sharing my walks down the lane with you!!

I'll admit to being less-versed in music than others but that doesn't mean I'm completely in the dark. I'm sure some of you will laugh at the music I choose each week for Music Memory Monday but that's ok too. Hopefully you will laugh at my stories as well - and be prompted to recall your own music memories.

The deep prodding and poking into my hippocampi starts tomorrow!

Enjoy!

What do you pack?

This seems so trivial...but I am so consumed by emotion that this seems like the one thing I can focus on. What do you pack when you are headed to what might be the last week of someone's life? My grandpa is 84. He's been aging quickly this past year. Until this year you would have thought he was in his 70's. Wednesday found him in the ER, and then in the hospital, and today he took a turn for the worse. Now my whole family, including us, are on our way to see him. It might be the end for him. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready to let him go. I'm not ready to say goodbye. I am so angry. This isn't how life should work.

And I keep going back to my suitcase wondering what the hell I'm supposed to pack.