Do, Re, Mi... the first three notes

Note:  as you begin to read this, start humming Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love”…

The well trained, focused camera recedes leaving two lovers intertwined in a fervent embrace.  Rain begins to quietly descend on their upturned faces; silently the two grasp one another’s hand as they dash for cover.  The night is young and their love is unsullied.  The music crescendos and our imaginations are left to their own… how does this story end?  Only the melody knows for sure…Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night” is heeded as passion flares.

What if, in our real lives, we had music in the background (like they do in the movies) as we went about our daily activities?  Different tunes would start playing to the rhythm of what we were doing.  Enter The Beatles and “Good Day Sunshine”. Having melodies that help carry us through the day would certainly put a bounce in my step and a smile in my heart – walking the dog would take on new meaning, laundry may be a thankful experience and making dinner could be fun again… the possibilities would be endless. Dixie Chicks and “Desire” comes to mind. 

My morning is a flurry, and the beat of a James Bond theme song echoing as I jump into my ultra sleek mom-mobile with my child, 6 minutes late for school, and maneuver it over the mountains and expertly around the sharpest of turns until we are face to face with his school.  He hops out of the car and his own theme song begins, most likely a Weird Al Yankovic refrain motivating him to his class.  The reason why I was late in the first place was because I had baked a batch of cookies for later, changed the sheets, started a load of laundry, made lunch for my son, made breakfast for the spousal unit and child, fed the dogs, hamster and fish, cranked up the crock-pot for dinner, showered and washed hair, primped, pramped and made ready for the day – and that was before 8AM… I think this is when the chorus of “I Am Woman” should start up full force.

Slowing the pace, the harmony of James Taylor enters my psyche and gets me in the groove.  Mellow mood music and I seem to be getting along better as I get older.  The once mundane chores take on added interest while your brain is tuned into Nat King Cole and “I’m Going to Laugh You Out of My Life”. My husband enters the room after a long day of finishing off his “honey-do” list that no doubt was made better by Faith Hill’s  “A Man’s Home is His Castle” reverberating in his mind as he tackled his chores.  He wanders through the kitchen as his tune changes to Captain and Tenille’s “Do That To Me One More Time” while his third bite full of pumpkin pie hits the spot.  No telling what song plays in his head.  I use to think he was a classical, rock and roll basic kind of guy and lately I have seen his moves looking more like he is in the know of hip-hop and rap.  Gettin’ down and gettin’ funky seems to be his latest mode of operandi – one can only imagine what music plays in his head.

The calming symphonic strains of “Silence is Golden” is interrupted when the bus delivers my child home and he bursts in no doubt with Elvis and “I Am All Shook Up” rocking his world.  Simon and Garfunkels’ “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” whispers in the background as the saga of his day unfolds.  And all the while he speaks, in my strata I smile as the tune of Stevie Wonders’ “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” replays over and over.

We make it through dinner, homework and the evening each with our own tune playing:  my son with the Beach Boy’s “California Girl”, my Romeo chillin’ to Blood, Sweat and Tears’ “Hi De Ho” and I can’t seem to get Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” out of my in-box.  One last tune arrests me for the day as Dave Matthews’ “Ain’t It Funny How Time Slips Away” is faintly straining as I fluff my pillow and snuggle in for a long winter’s nap.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life. Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-