Certain songs take me back to specific places in childhood. KISS's "Beth" takes me to our carport, and my orange naugahide record player, and a circle of kids standing around listening to the scratchy ballad... and of getting in trouble when Mom caught us listening to "that devil music".
Others transport me to high school and college; I can't hear Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" without thinking of Orion the Hunter and Swisher Sweets. Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" catapults me to Hwy 1570, flying down the road with my windows down and my hair whipping in the wind.
Still other songs point me to specific people. "Lady" by Kenny Rogers makes me think of Mom and Dad, and how Dad serenaded Mom one year. He sounded so, so beautiful to my 10-year-old ears. Journey's "Open Arms" reminds me of a certain red-haired boy from the Texas Coast, who was visiting our town the summer before 9th grade. Specifically, I remember walking down a tree-canopied sidewalk hand-in-hand with him, while Open Arms played on the tape player he carried.
But if there's one song that defines a specific place-person-time in my life perfectly, it's You're Still the One by Shania Twain. I remember the first time Darren and I heard it. We were dumbfounded, because it was written for us. Every word was our story. We went out immediately and bought the CD single. (Can you still buy CD singles in stores?)
When we got married 16 years ago next week, we were told we'd never make it. I was pregnant, and we'd moved our July wedding up 6 months to accomodate that. The elders at our church refused to acknowledge our wedding, because we were living in sin. They disallowed the ministers from marrying us. Three days before our wedding, we suddenly found ourselves without a minister. (A Justice of the Peace at the courthouse made it legal, and our Dads performed the ceremony the next day.) Those elders called a meeting with Darren and me and told us that we were getting married for the wrong reason. (Um, NO, we weren't. We were moving the wedding FORWARD for the wrong reason, sure. But that's not why we were getting married.) They told us we'd never make it. We knew better. We STILL know better.
Today, I came across the song on the internet, and turned up the volume. Darren was immersed in football across the room, but at the first note of the song, he said, "Stace....", and got up, crossed the room, and stood behind me, holding me and rocking to the steady beat until the song ended.
Yah. He's still the one. I'm still the one. Always will be.
Looks like we made it. Look how far we've come, my baby.
the challenge:
There are some songs that take you back to specific events, places and times. Choose one song (or a few!) that do that for you, and tell us about it.
8 comments:
thank you for those encouraging words. it gives me hope that my husband and i can make it. we've been told by my famly that they don't think we will make it. sometimes i'm not sure we will, but i pray that we will. stories like yours give me hope.
Stacy,
What an awesome blog. My DH and I were told we'd never make it either. Don't you just love it when it does work out.
Your marriage is such an inspiration to so many. Enjoy your anniversary.
Stacy,
You are truly gifted. You have been blessed with a powerful ability to evoke feelings and emotions in your writing. You have blessed my life by sharing yours. Thank you!
aweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. i remember when you told me that story before! EVERYTIME i hear it i think of you! I think i was around when you bought it.
KarenK
What a GREAT story. . . Ours is the opposite! Everyone knew we were perfect for each other and didn't know why we weren't gettin' hitched. "I" even wondered. Eventually we did. He played "We've got a groovy kind of love" by Phil Collins that morning. I wondered if it was on purpose. Turns out it was. And we do. And we still do. A little weird sometimes but "groovy"!
Thanks for sharing your stories! Always love 'em and am inspired by 'em and YOU!
hi, I was introduced to your blog from martha (changgang) and have so enjoyed reading it, and love the little blog assignments that she forwards! I just wanted to say I love marriage stories like yours and some of the people commenting. I too was told we wouldn't make it and next may will be 15 years and even in our most troubled moments i couldn't imagine being with anyone else! and each time we made it through a low, we were so much stronger! thanks for your very encouraging words and your great blog, i really enjoy visiting here!
So sweet. No one thought Jeremy and I would make it either. December was 13 years for us. Hope you had a great anniversary!
- Tara
That is an amazing story. A very happy, loving story. We got married when we were pregnant as well. No one thought we'd make it either. But we have. We'll celebrate 12 years this year.
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