I recently took a trip to the Apple Store in Corte Madera to check out the Nano for Grady (or something like it). I was thinking of all of the time he spends by himself as our only child, perhaps listening to music could make things more interesting for him. Music is a big part of our lives, even though we are clearly divided on genres and artists in our home (and the fact that my husband is a music snob and loathes country music). We figure it out.
Happy memories from my childhood often involve music. I fondly remember cleaning house on Saturday mornings as a kid and listening to George Strait and Conway Twitty for hours at a time. Same with road trips to Phoenix with my mom and siblings - where we would sing like crazy people, play name that tune and jump from the front seat to the back seat just because we could. Remember those days?
The Easter Bunny once delivered a Kool & the Gang 45 in my Easter basket. Cupid thought I needed Barbra Streisand's solo album. Billy Joel was a personal favorite, as well as Donna Summer. I remember when Rick Dees recorded
Disco Duck and I would sit and wait for it to come on the radio. I listened to the radio in my room with the door firmly closed, so that I could call in and request Crystal Gayle's
Half the Way until that poor disc jockey would play it and then I would record it on my handy-dandy tape recorder. You see, I come from a music-loving family and I was encouraged to listen, record, dance & even roller skate to it.
Musical instruments...not so much. My cruel parents once strapped an 18 pound accordion on a 45 pound body and thought
that was a good idea. But that's another story...
So, back to the Apple Store. G was immediately sucked in with all the glitz and glam of the iPod and wanted the hot pink one with video capability. What the eff? Uh, I was in way over my head. I thought it was all a bit too much, too soon and slowly slinked out of the store. He's six, not sixteen and this little shopping adventure helped me to get back to ground zero.
This problem was solved with a lower-tech version for our little man.
A transistor radio, with flashlight. Genius. He has been tuning into the news and listening to fuzzy stations all afternoon in his bedroom. He took a long leisurely bath and had the radio perched on a stool beside the tub, as he listened to the Go-Go's, Pat Benatar and John Cougar Mellencamp. He was impressed that I knew these artists and some of the words (remember now - I was once going to be Pat Benatar in a school talent show!).
This helped to remind me of how satisfied my child can be with the smallest and simplest of things. I'm sure this is true for most kids. Sometimes it's the parents that get swept up in the marketing machine and think our kids needs all of that crap. I'm so glad I walked out of that store without an iPod for him. This seemed so much more his speed. He's been taking it to bed and listening to music before he falls asleep or using the flashlight to read just one last book. Priceless.
This is a new list of things he loves. This little radio made its debut on the list. I love it, too.
