Theme songs for Life.

Hey Love-Shack Lady,

Do you ever walk out you front door and get a quick aerial view of your life at that moment and hear a song playing? The song that is the theme of your day, week, month or year?

I distinctly remember walking out of Heritage Halls my freshman year at BYU, feeling the crispness of the air at 7:50 in the morning, seeing my breath puff out of my mouth and fogging up my glasses a little, and looking around to see if anyone could hear "California Dreamin'" playing, because I sure could. The song starts with "All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray. I've been for a walk, on a winter's day. I'd be safe and warm if I was in LA. " It's not that I love California, and always dream of that. In fact, I never really dream of it, unless it is to go to Disneyland, but in that moment, and for that whole month, and for the whole semester, that was the theme song for my life. The beat, the tempo, the idea of being cold and stopping in a church to pray. California dreaming represented other dreams. Dreams and hopes for my future that would push me to work hard, give all I had, and believe that it would get me somewhere that I really wanted to be. I wish there had been cameras there on that day, to record me walking, because I know that my steps were in sync (not n'sync) with the music, my hair had to have looked great in the wind, and I was just the perfect image of a college girl walking to early morning class. Can you picture it? But more importantly, can you hear it?

This moment in time when a song plays in your mind, and it's as if your life were a movie, it's a magical moment. If viewers were watching you in that moment, what would be the song playing along? The exciting thing is that just like the movies, the songs change. For example, when I think of a theme song for you and Big D, it depends on what you are doing. After a day of keeping T-Bear happy and mischief-free, teaching stroller strides even when you are pregnant, successfully shopping and getting good bargains, and coming up with a good dessert for the day, then I hear "Amazed" by Lonestar, because Big D can really be amazed at how you pull off some awesome things. But if it's after dinner on a hot day, and all Big D can do is make silly comments and obvious statements that are on the verge, if not completely there, of obnoxiousness, then I think a more accurate song would be "Get Out of My Car" by Cary Judd, though of course it's not real that you want Big D out of your car and life. Along another vein of things, a fitting theme song for Seattle's weather the past few days is the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," as I have not ever seen so much sun (nor felt so much warmth) here in Seattle before. When I see T-Bear running over to dump some toys, and after the tremendous crash of it all, run to dump another bin, I hear the song "Walk this Way" by Aerosmith, as if T-Bear were just going crazy to get us to walk his way and love his toy dumping phase. When I see you teaching Stroller Strides, "No Limit" plays in my mind from Jock Jams. Oh yes. I said it. Jock Jams. But the theme song for you and your life will always be "Love Shack" by the B-52's because, nobody can dance like you can to that song. That song is your song.

It's a fun activity to match songs up with life episodes, wouldn't you say? Think on it. What song ran through you mind the last time you were sitting in traffic? Eating an ice cream cone? Walking along the beach? Buying groceries? Sitting at your computer 10 minutes longer than planned because you chose to read this blog? Why don't you try it, and let me know where you end up.

From California-Dreamin' Lady