Afternoon Slicers and members of our SI 2013
Just before the Thruway entrance this morning, I brake quickly to avoid crashing into the truck in front of me, almost at a dead stop. We are surrounded by trucks everywhere, crawling in all the 3 lanes, soon to increase to 5. Good thing I left even earlier than usual. I had time to send a text to Christine, (shhh, don’t tell) adjust my ipod and click to a playlist that I hadn’t listened to in months.
Lately, I’ve been listening exclusively to anything on WNYC 93.9, but the news is making me a bit crazy, so I have folded music back in my riding life. I put on a playlist entitled: Party, probably from my anniversary party to celebrate our 10 years together. I had a few Israeli tunes to begin, for equal time. When the second song began playing I was starting to move in my lane but the music caught me off guard and I started tearing up to a song that is a Tuvia favorite.
Even though I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, fluent in Hebrew, as you might remember, I can connect and make sense of my favorite songs, especially songs that Tuvia and I both love. This one, “The Last War” . that caught me unawares is such a song. A man sings to his young daughter, pledging to her that she will never know war. I love the way Yahoram Gaon. pronounces his words with passion and commitment.
Of course he was unable to make good on his commitment. Israel is still in search of peace.
I was stopped in time, realizing that this song connects us deeply. . We are both aching these days, for peace, for humanity.
Digital Bonnie 
I love this picture of Tuvia sloshing though the water. So thoughtful, yet looking so practical, just on his way home from the store. Music has a way of unlocking our innermost feelings. When I once spent a few very sad months, I listened to music all the time, loudly, and I discovered that music cleans one out like crying does. It’s just not as messy! Love to you.
Thanks Lynn, I so agree.
Bonnie
I love that photo, Bonnie, lovely time to keep! I just finished the Breadwinner Trilogy, shared by Tara a few months ago I think. And I realized that all the children at our school (14 and under) cannot remember when we in the US have not been sending troops to Afghanistan & Iraq, nor have those who know about it know peace in Israel. I’ve had a few students with family in Israel & they’ve visited, but it’s not always been a good trip of ease. Saddens me very much. Thanks for the reminder.
Music is like that, isn’t it….it can connect to our deepest emotions, transport us, and move us. I’ve given up listening to the news so much, too. More of the same people saying the same things…no forward movement on anything. TED talks, Yale lectures and music – a much better route for me!
Thinking of you and agree that music can hit my heart hard at times…like hearing the music as the bride walks down the aisle (I was just at a wedding on Saturday) takes me right back to that day when my dad walked me down the aisle-it replays in my mind like it just happened…
I agree totally. There are LOTS of time, perhaps even most of the time, when my 1 hour commute is spent with 880 radio and the news repeats again and again. There is something soothing to that and it is frankly good to know that I am not the only one awake at 6:15 AM. On other days, and when the traffic on the Taconic is Iconic, I listen to a track that I call “ME” music including the likes of the Beach Boys, Madonnna, Ethel Merman and others – diverse and different parts I guess of who I am…it works for walking too!
I have a ton of songs on my iPod – when I hit the shuffle button, it’s like a flood of memories coming at me. 🙂 Keep the music flowing!
I was pondering on the words of a song just yesterday – wishing I had the economy of words that songwriters possess. And then I decided that the words without the music would not be nearly as powerful. You are so right – music is a gift.
Music does have a special power to send us back in time.