LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

let the good times roll

image courtesy of Wikipedia

The old song came on the radio and I turned it up – loud… Too loud for my wife, but she indulges me occasionally. I still love that old tune, but I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t sending me back in time, almost in my senses, like it used too? There was a time when I heard that song and it would transport me back to those cold and dark winter nights as a teenager.

It was a time of magic. The world seemed conquerable, like my private world to be tamed. The freedom that comes with age brings excitement and confusion. Each new day as an independent teenager was marked by choices, too many choices… Kids trying to make their mark, trying to be significant, different, brave, and, of course, cool.

The songs from that period of our lives can take us on a journey back in time – riding our memories like time machines. As I listened to the old Cars song, “Let The Good Times Roll,” I recall good times. I remember the freezing temperatures and a heater in my first car that had a mind of its own. No matter… The good times were rolling anyway…

Physical comfort and having everything figured out couldn’t stop the good times as a kid. Facing tough times and enduring what adults avoided at all costs added to the determination and gratification of independence.

The old Pioneer eight track stereo with the Craig PowerPlay speakers we thought were the baddest, (meaning good of course!) system you could have. That sound system was more important than replacing the heater core and less expensive… I couldn’t imagine anything better than my own personal world and atmosphere with music playing full blast while the chrome rims and the good times rolled on.

The good times kept rolling and the magic slowly faded and seemed to be replaced by a touch of apathy. The good times became a way of life, a thing to be expected, but usually under appreciated.

The Sirius XM satellite station blasted through a new state of the art, engineered system that sounds light years better than the best in home systems sounded back in the good ole’ days. The near freezing temperature outside couldn’t be remotely felt as I sat in the heated leather seat glancing at my wife to see if she was enjoying the old song from our high school days.

She didn’t appreciate it like I did… Strangely, I wasn’t appreciating it like I should have either… I pondered in silence as the music faded into the background of my mind. “Why isn’t the music taking me back like it used too?   Have I gotten too old?” I wondered in the silence of my mind surrounded by the music that rivaled a live rock concert.

It dawned on me as I turned the music down for my wife – and to her delight, that the music is just the vehicle to ride back on time on. The treasures are the perseverance and determination that accompanied the mind of a young person. We often get complacent because we’ve gotten used to getting what we want.

We’ve gotten soft just like the younger version of ourselves thought of the adults back in the day.

I think the next time I find myself in that scenario, I’ll turn up the music, roll the windows down to let in the freezing winter air until my teeth chatter again…

And let the good times roll…