Turn It Up, LOUD!

Love is a many splendored thing. When I was young my Mom would play this song and turn it up loud. Good old Frank Sinatra would be blasting through the house. She also had a passion for Charlie Rich, Chubby Checker, The Mama's and the Papa's, Andy Williams, Tom Jones, Cher and lots of others. There were plenty of Saturday's I can remember waking up to the Magnavox Console Stereo playing those big 33 vinyl records. These are the mornings I knew all was right with the world. Awe.....very good memories!

It was so fun to stack those records on top of each other on the turntable and move that arm over to hold them suspended on a long pin above the turntable. Watching that arm with the needle detect when the record had finished the last song and magically move so the next record could drop down and start playing. Now that was magic. I can remember trying to help the arm with the needle move onto the record, but no, it didn't need help and rebelled by falling onto the record and scratching it. I've often thought how my Mom had a love for music. I remember her putting on that hard rock, Twist, by Chubby Checker and dancing with me and my sisters. It's some pretty hard rock, if you don't believe me just google it, but plug your ears, I dare you! Sometimes I wonder if she knew then that she was giving me a gift, the gift was a love for music.

I was the baby of the family till I was six. Everyone would go to school and I'd be left alone with my Mom, she'd crank up the tunes and clean the house. I'd help her dust the furniture (mmm, deja-vue moment, I just got a faint smell of lemon Pledge) and try to sing along. I especially loved Chubby Checker and was quite proud of my dancing skills. Yes, my Mom agreed I was pretty dang cute doing the Twist. I remember one night my siblings and I were all asleep, my parents came home from being out with some friends, Dave and Mammie Schuler, my Mom came into my room and quietly woke me up. I was promised that if I showed them how cute I was and did The Twist then I would be allowed to stay up. That was quite an offer so I agreed. On came that wonderful sound, Chubbie Checker singing......."Come on baby, lets do the twist".......... There I was moving like never before, twisting and turning, I was a dancing queen, or at that age maybe I should say princess. I gave quite a preformance. I wonder sometimes what makes the brain hang on to some memories. I remember that night so vividly. Other things I can't remember at all.

Many times I can remember seeing my Mom listen to sweet soft music, the music would touch her spirit and bring her to tears. Often this would happen and I'd chuckle and poke fun of her, I of course was never going to be like her. In my teenage ignorance I saw this as a weakness. I have since discovered that she was incredibly sensitive and tender hearted. I have learned to never say never, now I find myself getting misty eyed at the sound of sweet soft music.

I am so thankful for a Mom who gave me the gift of a tender heart. Who woke me up early on Saturdays when I was a teenager cause the music was turned up loud. I can endure the chuckles I get from my kids now, someday they'll understand. I'd like to tell them that, more than likely, because of genetics soon they'll be the ones on the receiving end of a chuckle. It doesn't matter what anyone says, music can move you, the way it moves you is a choice. Some music moves me to want to pull my hair out while another moves me to want to clean the house, but the kind I like best is the music that takes me back to earlier days and memories. It makes me feel alive, calm and causes me to think and remember. Now, go put a record on and turn it up, LOUD!