Sunday, January 3, 2016

In Retrospect

Christmas boiled down to Frank Sinatra and Mariah Carey.

I don't know how that happened but that is just the way it went.

I own a bunch of Christmas CD's. Willie Nelson, B.B.King, Elvis, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey and others that I am sure I'm forgetting.

For some reason about two weeks before Christmas I grabbed the Mariah CD. Actually as I think back about it, it was nothing more than laziness.

I went searching for all the Christmas CD's and hers is the first I came across. I have all my CD's in boxes and piles on the floor outside this room. They are in no discernible order and it is a royal pain in the ass to find anything.

Especially when patience is paper thin, as is mine.

I was pissed because I expected to come across all of them in one pile but of course that did not happen. So as soon as I came across Mariah I decided to settle for that and find the others at a later date.

Of course that never happened.

That same morning I was in a Sinatra mood so I grabbed " The Reprise Collection" boxed set that I have - four CD's.

Those two musical selections remained in my car throughout Christmas and on into the new year week.

I dug them.

When it comes to Christmas songs I like the emotional ones and the ones that rock or get rocked up. Hate the kiddie stuff.

So with my girl Mariah I listened to the first four songs over and over. "Silent Night, All I Want For Christmas Is You, O Holy Night, and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."

I would pop in the CD in my driveway, listen to 1 through 4, and then repeat 1 through 4. That would deliver me to the doorstep to HELL in grand fashion and in high spirits.

With Frank I listened to Disc 3, selections 1 through 8.

"I've Got You Under My Skin, The Shadow Of Your Smile, Street Of Dreams, You Make Me Feel So Young,  Strangers In The Night, Summer Wind, All Or Nothing At All, and That's Life."

"That's Life" was the key, the defining moment of every ride, the wave of emotion I rode in to retail torture.

I would have time to replay "That's Life" one more time before I reached the doorstep to HELL. Two consecutive performances of the song ended my commute in grand fashion and in high spirits.

Can't tell you how many times I belted out "That's Life" right along with Frank. I cranked that sucker like it was Led Zeppelin and roared along with it at high volume.

It felt great.

Those two CD's fought back depression and hatred quite admirably. No matter how much the spectre of retail beat down the holiday spirit, for the ride to and the ride from, I was feeling pretty good.

Retail beats the Christmas out of you. You need weapons to fight back. Mariah and Sinatra were more than up to the task.

I only listened to "The Winter Song" by Angel once or twice, which is a felony crime. It is entirely possible that that song is my favorite Christmas song of all time. I don't even know if it is a Christmas song but I absolutely love it.

I only listened to "Happy Xmas (War Is Over) a few times, which is a felony crime. That song is probably tied with "The Winter Song" on Joe's favorites list.

Christmas bum rushes you and leaves no time. No matter my intentions I end up rushed and missing out on things I want to experience.

But Frank and Mariah saved the day. They had me rockin', they had me rollin', they had me emoting, they had me singing and smiling.

It was a great two weeks (at least in The Big Ride).


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