My Ipod

Today I went running with my kids. Let me explain. . .

A few years ago Camille gave me an IPOD Nano for Christmas, complete with a playlist of some of my favorite songs and many she thought I would like. I’m not one to walk around with headphones in my ears, but it is perfect for running—small and comfortable. I’ve since added a few songs to my playlist, but for the most part, it’s still pretty much the original chosen list. In fact, last spring when I lost my original Nano at the gym, I just bought a new one and downloaded the same playlist.

Today during my run, I almost choked up recalling many tender memories. When I hear Matchbox Twenty sing “If You’re Gone,” I immediately think about August 2001 when we dropped Brittney off at Helaman Halls as a new BYU Freshman. As we were pulling away, and with a few tears in my eyes at the realization that our family really was changing, this song came on, and the title was just a little too reflective of my emotions. A few songs later James Taylor starts to sing “How Sweet It Is” and I jump ahead 5 years to a beautiful January day when Brittney and Stuart married. That song was part of their wedding video slideshow. By then things had definitely changed! And, of course, my IPOD now has a few Fictionist downloads too—they have a really great lead vocalist!

I also have several Dave Matthews songs on my playlist, namely “Smooth Rider,” short, sweet, rhythmic and soulful. Dave’s voice is one that even I always recognize. Then I hear the Beatles belt out “Revolution.” No joke! Was Camille somehow magically inside that little gizmo? If you know Camille, you know that she is an avid Beatles and DMB fan—the most loyal kind. Ask her almost anything about them—she’s that “nerdy” fanatic who knows obscure details! Any of their songs will always remind me of her.

And if it wasn’t weird enough, one of the last songs I heard was Backstreet Boys singing, “Larger Than Life.” Now, I’m not even sure if Jace particularly loves that song, but I have a distinct memory of him water skiing behind the boat with his big infectious grin and that song belting from the speakers. Besides, that little chuckle/yell at the beginning, the catchy beat, and the whole notion of ‘larger than life’ just fits Jace, don’t you think?

I didn’t grow up with much popular music in the house. Of course as a teenager in the 70’s I loved all the great bands (Boston, Journey, Styx, etc.) and even had a floor seat at a Bee Gee’s concert during the Saturday Night Fever craze--it was a big deal! I mostly listened to music in the car or with friends. Brent, on the other hand, has a song/musician/band attached to almost every memory. In fact, the family indulges his frequent declaration of “This is one of my top 10!” with a wink and a nod . . . he has way too many . . . perhaps top 100. He can fondly recall music from his elementary school days (but he can’t remember what he did yesterday—old age??) Now, however, since being around him for almost 30 years, and raising our family with plenty of REALLY LOUD music around, I’ve got a lot more memories anchored by music, and categorized in my memory bank by date/place/children. It’s a wonderful thing. Thanks guys for running with me this morning—It was awesome!