Music !

Why do young people seem to think that having fun has an expiration date?

Why are they so surprised when an old man makes them laugh? Then why are they so surprised when he can sing along with about every word from the likes of Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas or begins singing the words from todays country stars?

How come they stand with their mouths hanging open and a lost look in their eyes when the same old guy pulls up in a pickup truck with head bangin or pop music blaring on his radio?

I've loved music all my life. Heck, I was here for the early growing pains of rock n roll. Yah, the days when parents commented that it would never last and was the music of the devil... I remember seeing Elvis gyrating his hips and the outrage it induced from the minds of beings that thought he might be Lucifer reincarnated! I remember that guy named Roy Orbison!

I remember when the Beetles first came to the US and all the news programs had the pic's on of the girls swooning over them. I was here when Jimi Hendrix shocked the American public with his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner!

I remember when the Rolling Stones were still young and their faces weren't so wrinkly... Heck, I remember listening to a guy named Woodie Guthrie singing about this great land and also later his son Arlo singing a protest song called Alices Restaurant!

I can recall many times partying and listening to the Grateful Dead! I remember when the BG's sang good music. Then there were the 70's and early 80's when they like so many others bombarded our ears and minds with the enema called Disco!

Managed to survive the years of Heavy Metal too. I remember when BB King graced us with a fantastic music called the blues. Gee, even sang the blues myself from time to time... Or Frank Sinatra when he was young and thin, Bing Crosby crooning and having all the womens hearts beat a little faster. How about when Frank Sinatra's daughter was singing about her boot that were made for walking.

Saw Wayne Newton when he was still a boy! When really young I remember winding up an old record player and listening to the fox trot on 78 rpm records. I still think you could have used those records as weapons! They were heavy! That thing didn't even have speakers. It had a kind of horn that stuck way out the top that the music came out of.

Heck, I remember getting my first pocket size transistor AM radio! How about when a stereo was a Hi Fi and tapes were on really big reels... Then cassettes and eight tracks. And AM radio played good music and wasn't all talk radio...

I've sat and listened intently to opera while dressed to the nines. Even enjoyed it though I hardly ever understood a word... Been to concerts from blue grass to rock and roll. Listened and bopped to Jazz. Even to Progressive Jazz. Stood around on street corners singing Doo Wop with others, even got into the diddly diddly do bop ca ching ca ching ching of Scat...

So for all you young whipper snappers out there, if ya hear the music coming from a mile away and an old guy with a big gray beard comes into view, wave and hey! Lets get together and party. I've got party stories that would blow ya away!

I'll be glad to listen to any music ya have and can probably sing right along with ya. As the Beetles once sang in a really ancient song, it's guaranteed to make ya smile!

Just don't expect me to dance! Last time I did that my old tired joints and bones about broke. But should any of you young sweeties want to try a slow dance, I'll be glad to hold ya tight and sway!

Us old people aren't all sitting around in stuffed shirts waiting to die, there's many of us who still know there's a whole lotta livin left to do! And do we have stories that will keep you on the edge of your seats!

Here's an idea, why not give grandma and grandpa a chance. (This could really shock the heck outta your parents too...) Get mom or dad to take you to visit with them. Tell them you want to visit by yourself. Have an adult conversation with them, no duh's unless they're really called for. No talk to the hand... That p's everyone off.

Just nice pleasant convo like with your friends. See if they don't start recalling their past and many of the things they did when they were young. You could be in for one heck of a surprise when their mouths start telling you stories from their history.

I remember getting my grandpap started. When he was talking about some of his stories from his younger days, I began to see that I was not the only wild child in the family! For his day, grandpap was kinda cool. That old dude knew how to have FUN and he had no fear! And grandma, once the ice was broken would make any dad of a daughter tremble with fear!

Hey ya never know, you start talking to them and they may become your best allies against your jailers known as mom and dad : )

So as I slow dance and sing my way through another day here in the boonies, smile, sing, hum and dance along!