The Music Sounds Different From the Front Seat

Every Saturday morning I am tasked with driving my two young daughters to their dance classes. Both of their classes are at the same time which makes things much easier and I get a short rest while class in in session. But today I had a small ephiphany. I realized, that while listening to Downtown Julie Brown on SirusXM 90's on 9 (the top 40 from 1990), that many of the songs played were enjoyed by me while still being driven around as a young child. And now my own children are the backseat passengers and I have assumed the role of parent. It's amazing how much music can evoke nostalgic feelings. Much of my nostalgia comes in the form of Friday night drives to high school football games with my father and brother. My uncle coached a local high school team any many of my relatives would attend each and every game. Since we live in a small state, the distances weren't vast and most travel times were until thirty minutes. But to a child that's an eternity. Much of the music that emanated from the speakers was performed by artists such as Lisa Stansfield, En Vogue, Boys II Men, Jane Child etc. It was truly a great era of music. Maybe it wasn't so great but to a younger version of me it was the best. I hadn't yet fully formed my musical tastes. But I remember sitting in the backseat of my father's minivan on Friday nights listening to those songs. And now I am driving my own minivan with my young daughters in the back. I often wonder if they will feel the same nostalgia that I feel. When their driving around their own children will they play music from their era. The seating position in a car can be used as a metaphor for life itself. As children we are just along for the ride but as adults we are in control. When we get too old then we revert to being a passenger. It also makes me think that life has really gone by too fast. I know that it's cliche to say that I left so many goals unachieved as a youngster but for me there is much more than the average person. I never really had the pleasure to travel a lot, never went camping, never visited a foreign land. A lot of it wasn't my parent's fault as they were tasked with caring for my grandmother. But it's just something that I missed out on. As a parent, I have been trying to provide different experiences for my children. I realize that they can't really appreciate the world around them but I would like to think that I'm providing a solid foundation for future endeavors. It's a huge challenge being a parent. Much of it is a juggling act. If one is not excessively rich then one has to be selective in what kinds of activities to enjoy together with one's children. Or possibly limit activities to assure that the family has the ability to pay for groceries or bills. Many Americans live this way, with the view from the front seat. We often struggle our way through life, we don't have boats, multiple cars, large houses or monthly vacations. I count myself as one of these people. But we have nowhere to go but up. So we have to clean off that windshield and take control of our own destiny. Because no one else will do it for us. The music does sound different in the front seat, it's often more emotional and downtrodden. But with a few clicks of the dial, we can begin to see the sun over the horizon. It's always there, we just have to know how to look for it.