Sing...sing a song

"See you in September" is what one of my bosses always says as a closing when she talks to her husband on the phone.

Songs I heard today: "King of the Road" by Roger Miller, one of my top 10 favorites. I heard it first on vacation in the Poconos, on a rinky radio in the loft room that was mine for a week. "Trailers for sale or rent, rooms, fifty cents...I'm a man of means by no means, King of the Road."
"Freedom (is just another word for nothing left to lose)"--Janis Joplin, I think. It's not a song I have any specific memory of, it's just a great song to sing at the top of your lungs as you drive down Rte. 19.

Music is really important to me. This morning, on my walk, I trailed a fellow carrying a guitar. I wondered where he was going--he was headed for the residential area, was he going to give or get lessons? When he turned around (the old man at the corner said hello to us both) I saw he was quite handsome. But I imagine he is 23--all men seem to be these days.

My brother is almost 23--he's really gotten me into more eclectic music than I already was listening to, as he listens to a lot of older music, like old blues and old folk music from the sixties.

There's a quote from my favorite of all time book, Dicey's Song (read over 25 times, I'm sure), where Dicey and Mina are talking about what they look for in friends. Dicey says music. Lemme see if I can find the quote for ya:

"So bravery is one of the things you choose by?" Mina asked.
"Sure," Dicey said. "And music."
"Music's not a quality," Mina protested.
"It is too," Dicey insisted.
"You can't be music," Mina argued.
"But you can have it, don't you," Dicey asked. "Don't you?"
Mina started laughing instead of saying anything. "That's what I like about you, Dicey. With everyone else, they want to talk about boys, or clothes, or having babies. You know?" Dicey didn't know. "But with you--"
"I don't know anything about boys, or clothes, or having babies," Dicey pointed out.
"But if you did, you wouldn't talk about them the same way, I bet," Mina said.
[Dicey's Song, by Cynthia Voigt, p. 166]

I admire Dicey because I have always talked about boys, kind of like Mina. I wish I could think about them less...but I've gotten off my topic of music. Whenever people ask me what kind of music I listen to, I tell them, most kinds. Which is pretty much true.

Sarah Louise's top ten songs: (not in any particular order)

1. I wonder as I wander (Appalacian Christmas song)
2. Do you hear what I hear (Christmas song)
3. King of the Road, Roger Williams
4. I've had the time of my life (from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack)
5. I'm walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves)
6. Love Shack (the B-52s)
7. Music (Carole King)
8. Be thou my vision (Celtic Hymn)
9. Show me how to catch a fish (from the Picture Perfect soundtrack)
10. Tomorrow (from the Annie soundtrack)

This is, of course, incomplete, but it shows the eclectic range of my tastes. I really like standards, I've discovered, in the past five years, ever since Steve Tyrell came out with his album, "A new standard." I listen to an am radio station that plays "nostalgia music" which is mostly standards. My sister says she wants "At Last" by Etta James played at her wedding. Me too. But let's not get on that track right now...

Since I'm still thinking about friendship a lot these days (and I'm meeting a new friend today) I'll close with this quote from Camus:

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead.

Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.

Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Albert Camus