You know how they say that if you play country music backwards you get your dog back, your wife back and your truck starts?
Friday night we went to a party. There were a lot of fun people there. Some people played cards, but clearly the draw of the evening was karaoke. It was a nice set-up. A sound system that sported two "real" microphones so that you (and everyone else!) could hear you sing!
Singing is like breathing for some people. They just have to do it. For some folks it should be more like coughing – they should try to control it in public. But, I digress. . .Even the worst singers were funny. And after awhile, you catch yourself singing along.
It was all going along fine. There were literally thousands of songs to choose from and most of the songs being played were 80's and 90's hits that everyone knew. People were tolerant. Ali and Curt worked their way through the entire "Grease" soundtrack while John waited patiently.
Then he got his revenge. He wanted to sing classic country. They started with Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It was funny. Then they sang some Merle Haggard. Buck Owens. Glen Cambell and George Jones. I started to get misty eyed.
Looking back, I would call myself a Daddy's girl. I worshipped him. When he would come home after work and join us in the kitchen as my mom made dinner he always made me laugh. He sang all those old country songs, sometimes dancing with my mom while she laughed and protested. Sometimes he would dance with me and we would sing.
"Say hey, good lookin’. What ya got cookin’?
How’s about cooking somethin’ up with me?
Hey, sweet baby. Don’t you think maybe,
We can find us a brand new recipe? "
Before very long on Friday night I found myself standing in the yard crying.
It doesn't happen like that very often anymore. I'm used to it. Maybe it's that hearing one or two of those old songs is nostalgic. Hearing a dozen was just too much.
As Ali stood there with her arms around me the only thing thought sprinting through my head was that it's just not fair.
So, here's the real question: If you play country karaoke backwards, do you ever get your family back?
5 comments:
Wow! A nice post. The last line caught me off guard and I found myself thinking and a bit emotional. Still, very nice.
kudos 2 u - thanks for your kind comment. I wasn't sure that the post made sense to people who don't know me. My parents and I have been estranged because of my sexual orientation for a long, long time. That's where the sadness came from.
I can't think of the right thing to say......Just remember the rest of your family loves and accepts you!
Carrie – thanks. I know and I love you guys too!
I just read your reply to my post, and you're welcome. I can understand your situation because of the past situations that came up with my brother and my family. Thank goodness that we, I believe, have gotten past all that. I don't care what his sexual orientation is, he's my brother and I love him. Period. No limitations or exceptions. Same with you. It doesn't bother me a bit whom you choose to love, I would just hope that they made you happy and that the feeling was mutual, no matter what sex they were. The post actually had 2 meanings for me. It made me nostalgic for my own family and for the loss of my sister-in-law, Cindy. Her birthday was just a week before your post, but since she was taken from us 4 1/2 years ago, birthdays for her are celebrated a bit more 'unconventional' I guess you could say. Mr. Stozich, unfortunately, ended the life of an absolutely awesome sister-in-law!
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