escape

  Talking with the wife she points out that I say, in the old days. quite a bit. More so, she tells me, the last few months. My response was, well I am talking about things from fifty years ago, things that took place in the last century. We are, after all two decades into the 21st century. Yeah, the old days. But I was thinking out loud about what the kids today are doing. I guess they still have dances, my granddaughter was showing Grandma her prom dress, but what dances do they do? I realize I'm not paying attention but seems to me in the old days our parents and grandparents at least knew about the latest dance craze. They were called a craze because the old people thought they were crazy! Well, that's always been a generational thing I suppose. I've heard my mother talk the dances she did as a young girl, one called the big apple or some such. Still she knew about the twist, the monkey, and all those dances I did, well truth be told I'm wasn't a dancer but knew about them anyway. The last dance craze I can recall was country line dancing, although I'm not certain the school kids were doing that. I'm totally out of that loop. Just what are the kids doing these days? 

  That conversation led to the music. Again I have to say I'm not hip to the latest scene. Do they still have bands? I've heard about those boy bands that were so popular but was confused, none of the band members were playing instruments. Acapella bands? Well, not really because they do have backing tracks sometimes, I don't know anything about that though, as I said, confusing. Apparently the trend these days, the big thing, is a DJ. I'm still trying to figure out how a DJ becomes a star. In my view all they are doing is playing records. Yes it's nice when the DJ is friendly and personable, but like the original disc jockey I want to hear the music more than him or her. I hated that, there you are waiting for your favorite song to come on, your finger is on the record button of that cassette deck and it starts. Then the disc jockey is talking, making some stupid comments and ruins the whole thing! Be quiet and just play the music! I'm guessing there has to be bands out there somewhere. I do watch Austin city limits sometimes. If they are the current bands I can understand why they aren't real popular with the mainstream. The ones I've seen on there are pretty strange. No Willie Nelson, no Stevie Ray Vaughn, no Lorretta Lynn or Asleep at the Wheel. I did see that Billie Eilish on there. Have to say I wasn't impressed. I'd say that person is about as contemporary as I can get as far as knowing who someone is. I've also heard of Ed Sheeran although I couldn't tell you a single song either of them did. 

  Well I guess that is what happens when you live in the old days. I have my favorites that I listen too over and over. I never was much on dancing so I certainly don't miss any of that. I was always too self conscious to dance without the confidence of adult beverages. But ironically consuming adult beverages doesn't really make you more agile or remember the steps, so not much help. Of course, with enough alcohol you just don't care anyway. Yeah, the old days. They were a lot of fun when we remember them, not so much when we were living them. Probably the reason we like to go there, to escape were we are today. Yup, we really are going to hell in a hand basket just like my grandmother used to say. I believe she made that observation after seeing the Beatles first performance on the Ed Sullivan show. Over on the Jackie Gleason show they still had the June Taylor dancers, good wholesome entertainment. I can only imagine what my grandmother would of thought of Ozzie Osbourne or Alice Cooper. Things for me went south when Disco appeared on the scene. Disco dancing never became popular in the joints I hung out in, no leisure suits and collars like the flying nun for this guy. It was the beginning of the old days as far as I was concerned. Music has never really made a comeback since in my opinion. Alan Jackson, Travis Trett and Randy Travis done good, came close. It's all according to your taste I suppose and how important it is to remain current. I really like the old days, better than what I see coming down the road these days that much is certain. When it comes to summing up this thought one of my favorite Merle Haggard lines comes to mind, " I guess everything does change except what we choose to recall" Selective memory is a gift from God and one I appreciate. I'll remember the old days and continue to talk about them. It's a comfort.