Life in 6 Songs

On Running On Sober's blog, there is a challenge to tell the story of your life in 6 songs. While it's hard to summarize 42 years in 6 songs, here's a start.

1. I Musta Got Lost by The J. Geils Band
I was incredibly close with my mother. I was an only child, so our bond was super tight. We used to enjoy all sorts of things together, from bike riding to baking to shopping. One of my fondest memories was taking long drives with her, singing along to the radio at the top of our lungs. Many times, we would be coming home from somewhere and we were having so much fun in the car, we would drive past our street and keep going into the next town, turn around in a nursing home parking lot and then loop home. We sang this song together more times than I can count and we even made up little lyrics in between the actual song lyrics. I'll never forget the joy I felt belting out songs in the car with my mom.

2. Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill
I don't like convention. I don't subscribe to traditional roles. You can be whatever you want when you grow up, is what my parents told me and I took that shit seriously.

3. Dreaming by Blondie
As hard as I work and as much as I perform within the bounds of the day-to-day, I would be no where without the ability to dream, to let my mind wander and discover a way to make them a reality.

4. Tread Water by De La Soul
For obvious reasons.
 

5. New England by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
'Cause, damn it, that's where I was born and raised and that's where I call home. If I get too far from the ocean, I freak out.

6. That's Life by Frank Sinatra
Every time I complained to my father, no matter how big or small my problem, he would sing this song to me. Sometimes, it pissed me off. Other times, it gave me perspective. Since he's been gone, I break out in happy tears whenever I hear it.