Back to my future

You know you are getting (a bit!) older when your pre-set radio station is predominantly music from the 1980’s. This was my era of music and I happen to still love a tune from this pop and glam time in my life.

This morning when I was driving home an old KISS song came on the radio and it brought a smile to my face.

The song was Shandi.

It really is the cheesiest of songs but I sang along at the top of my voice and a wave of nostalgia came over me. I also surprisingly 🙂 knew all the words.

It’s a hard feeling to convey but it was one of joy and melancholy. This song was released in 1980, I was thirteen years old, a new teenager, it was a time in my life that I remember fondly (albeit a bit awkwardly).

It was the start of high school; of boy crushes and fashion faux pars. I look back on this time with a (sometimes) longing for the simpler life (but not wanting to be a teenage again, LOL).

The lyrics to this song are not Shakespeare, not even close, but they describe a time in my life that was full of promise, heartbreak and new beginnings.

I find it fascinating that music can carry us back to a time in our lives with a just a few words and a melody. Reminiscing about your teenage years and all its perceived predicaments and crises is your very own time travel experience. You realise of course years later that these are the reasons you are only a teenager once (thank goodness).

I am reminded of this daily with two teenage girls in the house and I smile quietly to myself that indeed nothing ever changes. They too have their own dilemmas, angst and reflection. And one day what they think is cool will be as outdated as glam rock and platform shoes are today.

It is a big transition time for them (and me!): The Teenage Years. I don’t think teenagers deserve the bad rap they get. They are seen to be negative and difficult, and often have a negative reputation as surly passengers on the journey of life. We learn a lot about the society we live in through teenagers.

Music is part of that journey too. It has an influence that shapes us in the teenage years that affects us psychologically and economically. When I reflect back on this era, I remember thinking that all was right in the world and music was at the heart of it. I will never tire of hearing the song Shandi, it brings back wonderful memories.

Now, where are those old KISS records…

Big Love Jane x