The Power of Song- part 1

My life has changed a lot over the years. I suppose everyone's does. I think though, if you peered back to the years of my young childhood and look where I am now, the results might be unexpected.  I was a second generation Long Islander. My dad was raised in the same town I was. He and my mom, who was from Massachusetts, married and settled down not too far from where my dad grew up. In many ways, my childhood might be considered stereotypical Long Island. My parents did ok, we lived in a really nice house in a pretty wealthy town. Schools were excellent and students were highly competitive, not just in academics but in fashion and social status. Without sounding melodramatic, it was not uncommon for kids to experience many of the things you've seen in movies like Sixteen Candles, Clueless, or Mean Girls.

Living in small town Long Island wasn't all bad. It was a great town with a main street, several really nice parks, restaurants and shops, and as I said before, very good schools. But it was definitely life in a bubble, a bubble you really didn't know you were in until you were no longer there. When I was about 13-years-old, my parents got divorced and my mom, my sister, and I moved to Florida. I remember the road trip like it was yesterday. My mom had an 80-something red, Nissan Sentra. Most of our world possessions and all our furniture had been packed up and taken by a moving company. We had several days' luggage and each other. There was a sadness about leaving a life we once lived, but also an exciting sense of adventure as we hit the road to start our new life.

My sister and I have reminisced about this trip a few times, and what always stands out to us was the music. It was 1987 and Whitney Houston, U2, and George Michael were dominating the pop charts. Think "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "I Want Your Sex."The three of us sang our hearts out from New York to Florida. Our parents were always cool into music, and they listened to all the same stuff we did. Looking back, I think it was singing that kept us from crying on that trip. It was a very difficult time. One song stands out in particular though. It was a bit like a theme song for the long drive to our new life. Steve Winwood's, "Back in the High Life" would come on and Mom would look to the two of us and sing with tears in her eyes. It was her promise to us. A promise that life would feel normal again one day soon. She was right, and this song will forever remind me of that time with my mom and my sister, and how much that trip and the experience brought us together. It's amazing how a song can bring you hope and courage at a time when you need it. Later it comes to define that time in your life, and you're reminded every time you hear it.