Harmonious Souvenirs

         Cindy sat on her bed and looked at all the compact discs that she had acquired over the years. Most of these were orginally purchased as record albums. Now with the new technologies, trying to find a usable turntable was almost impossible. She still wanted to hear the music that defined her life.

         After she was given a stereo that had a turntable by her ex-husband, she found that most of the records were either warped or badly scratched. She was very disappointed and quite angry. Once this event was revealed, she sat down one day and made a list of all the music she had. She wondered if she would be able to find the same albums in compact disc.

         A few days after making the list, Cindy received a promotional mail that she considered junk from Columbia House Music. She opened it and read through it 12 CD's for 1 penny. Then you have to buy six more over the next year. This intrigued Cindy. She could get the music she liked as well as replace the albums that have seen their wear.

         The first thing she did was look through her albums. "Beach Boys Endless Summer" was scratched by her brother and he didn't even apologize. She looked in the catalogue to see if they had it. It was there. Next in the pile was "Eagles: Hotel California." This album was perfectly fine, but she wanted to hear it when she was sitting outside with her friends. While she was looking for that album, she found a treasure trove of music she was dying to own. She decided to join the club. As she was picking out the twelve CDs, she found her musical interests had changed over the years.

          When she was married, Cindy had been introduced to the music of Yanni and Kenny G. She found herself enjoying what she heard. It made her wonder: Was she getting mellower in her advancing age? The answer was maybe. Columbia House had a new member choose what type of music they enjoyed. She chose easy listening and soft rock. The way the membership was to be set up was that she would be sent catalogues that featured selections in the catagories that she chose. However, she was able to choose from the rest of the catalogue.

         Cindy felt like a kid in a candy store. She could pick any CD she wanted and the best part was, she didn't need approval from anyone else. Was she going to pick the albums she had? Was she going to pick the greatest hits of her favorite artists? Or was she going to try to remember songs and weed through the various CDs to see if they were listed?

          As she was putting the records away, she decided to place them in groups. Elementary School listening, High school listening, and afterwards. She went to put the radio on and the first song playing hit her like a ton of bricks. This song was the first to place her feet on a journey that would last for the next two weeks.

          After Cindy sent in her membership fee and her information and selections, she anxiously awaited their arrival. The order form said that it would be close to two weeks.

         Two weeks later, Cindy went to the mailbox to see if her CDs were there. For the first three days, she was disappointed. Then on the fourth day, she could barely open the box. She happily walked back to her apartment with her prizes. After opening the box, she opened her 5 disc changer on her stereo to placed five randomly selected CDs. Once the music began to play, her mind and memories began to travel back in time.

          The first CD that played was Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass "Whipped Cream and Other Delights: Rewhipped". As she listened to the various tracks, she remembered days spent in her parents' basement. Those days were usually when school was cancelled. As she played, her mother would have a turntable in a drawer that would ring out the trumpet sounds that she lingered in. She would do this for hours, if allowed. She was in elementary school when this group was popular and in their hayday.

         Cindy started preparing her dinner while she was listening to the first CD. While she was chopping and slicing and shredding the vegatables for her salad, her mind again traveled. The track "Tangerine" took her back to her aunt's wedding. She was seven and the flower girl. The prospect of being able to go to the night portion of the wedding and staying up late excited her beyond belief. The band played that song after dinner and she danced with her uncle who was her Godfather. Now that he had passed away, Cindy spied at the stereo with a look of empty loneliness.

         It was going to be at least another hour before Cindy would prepare the rest of her nightly meal. She went back to her recliner to sit and relax and pass the time. The second track to play was from the disc Celebrate:The Three Dog Night Story. This group was very popular when Cindy was still attending elementary school. Anytime she heard one of their songs, she would think of field trips taken to various locals in the area. One of their songs, "Black and White", really spoke to Cindy. She was the product of two parents who were very prejudiced against people of color. As she listened to the track, she remembered the day she came home and told her family of the new kid in her class. The first question her father asked was what color skin he had. He even used the "N" word. Cindy knew what he was asking, and she replied with fear. After he was told by his daughter that there was a black student in her class, Cindy's father was enraged. As she further listened to the song's words, she wished that her parents would be more tolerant of all people.

          Next came the third track, which was another Three Dog Night song. It was "Joy to the World." This song reminded Cindy of a trip that her class took to the local zoo. While there, Veronica Prince, one of Cindy's classmates, made fun of her because she needed to use a wheelchair. Arla Prince, Veronica's mother, was chaperoning the trip and was in charge of the group that included Cindy and Veronica. Overhearing what her daughter said enraged Arla. She proceeded to take Veronica to the nearest restroom and discipline her in private. Veronica was made to publically apologize to Cindy and push the wheelchair for the next thirty minutes. When she thought of that, a crooked smile enveloped Cindy's face and she felt vindicated.

         The next track was to take Cindy into her high school years. In the early and mid-seventies, Chicago was gaining prominence in the music scene. Most of their hits helped define Cindy's high school days. Unbeknownst to Cindy, she would make friends with a girl who would turn out to be a lifelong friend and a new source for some of the best music she ever heard. This girl, Lisa Giltrade, accepted Cindy at face value. Veronica Prince and other girls from Cindy's elementary school seemed to follow her. She was hoping that that part of her life was closed and a new chapter would be able to be written. Unfortunately, like bad pennies, they always turned up.

         As Cindy and Lisa got to know each other, they found they had much in common. Lisa was adopted like Cindy's cousins. Although they didn't have many classes together, they would always meet at the same table in the cafeteria. Through Lisa, Cindy was introduced to other girls who formed one of the many cliques in the school. Lisa was getting to know an older girl named Rose. To Cindy, Rose was standoffish. She revered Janis Joplin, while Cindy couldn't understand the words. Rose was a very good artist and Cindy was a definite novice.

         While getting acquainted with her new friends, Cindy found that their musical interests were as varied as their hair color. Some liked hard rock, while others were into easy listening and big bands. This was where Lisa intervened. She always was looking for a song by an artist named Neil Diamond. The first song of his that Cindy ever heard was "Forever in Blue Jeans". That was the latest track that Cindy was listening to while on her trip down memory lane. The CD was Ultimate Neil Diamond. Cindy thought about calling Lisa to touch base, but her stomach was screaming other things. It was time to finish preparing dinner.

          The next song that playing on her trip down Memory Lane was "The Times of Your Life" by Paul Anka. As Cindy listened to this song while preparing the rest of her dinner, certain times came back to her in vivid color. As she washed scrubbed,and poked potatoes, so many memories came flooding back. Christmases at relatives' homes, birthdays at Farrell's Ice Cream parlor, summers at her grandparents' home, and picnics at Edgewater Park. A lot of them brought smiles and laughter. However, some brought tears and despair.

         As she opened up a can of corn, Cindy heard the song that marked the end of her high school years. "We May Never Pass This Way Again" by Seals & Crofts was always played at the school's "Moving Up" ceremony. There would be a slide show chronicling the past year and highlighting the momentous events. When she was a senior, Cindy's class didn't get a moving up ceremony. The reason given was because some of the class had found some road signs and brought them to the school's parking lot. Needless to say, the administration was not happy. Cindy's mind was racing through her memories as she was preparing the pork chops.

{indent]Cindy looked at all the delicious food and wondered who was going to eat it all. As she was lost in thought, she realized it was time to change the CD changer. She got up todo this and get the next five ready for playing. She was doing this to not only listen to the music, but also to make sure the CD's were fine. After she changed them, she sat back went back to the table and began clearing her plates. What she had planned for her dessert was delicious. It was her mother's great salad dressing cake with buttercream icing. A tall glass of milk and a big piece of cake would suit her just fine.

          As she savored each morsel of the cake and icing, "Boogie Shoes" played by KC & the Sunshine Band. This song took her back to her teen years. She looked at the cake and realized that she was not the same person who first listened to this song. Since then, she gained almost one hundred pounds and a few gray hairs were showing. All she could think of was that times sure have changed, but not for the better.

          While Cindy was cleaning her food mess, there was a knock at her door. She went to answer it. It turned out to be a kid selling candy to raise money for her school. She was selling candy bars for a dollar. Cindy bought two. Her thinking was that she had already gone to pot. Why stop now?

         While washing the dishes and clearing the table, a song that reminded Cindy of the summer she turned sixteen. She and her family had rented a space at a camp where her aunt and uncle lived. That was the best nine days of her life. The song was "Jive Talking" by the Bee Gees. It was good that Cindy was in a good mood. She did not want songs that would depress her too much.

          Cindy finally finished listening to most of the CD's in her player. She had a portable radio/CD boom box that she took outside. It was a beautiful evening and she took a lawn chair and the boom box and went outside to join the party in the apartment complex. This was the first summer since she moved out on her own. She knew most of the people already.

          As she was sitting and allowing her food to settle, her long time friend, Bill, came to see how she was managing. Bill and Cindy were best friends. Since he was older, Cindy valued his views and opinions on certain matters.

         "How are you doing?" Bill inquired.

         "I'm doing fine. Just had a big dinner. I've got something to show you."

         She showed Bill all the CDs she got. He explored them and expressed his dspleasure at some of her choices. This made Cindy somewhat uneasy and feeling awkward. She wondered why her friend of twenty years was in this mood.

          "Which ones don't you like, and why?" Cindy asked, puzzled.

         "You shouldn't have got these," showing her the ABBA Gold and More ABBA Gold.

          Looking at Bill perplexed, Cindy became angry. Suddenly this person that she thought she knew fairly well was not the same person at all. She took the CD out of his hand, placing it back on the stack, and waiting for an explanation.

         "Why do you seem to think that you have the right to choose what type of music I listen to?" Cindy demanded.

         Without any explanation on his part, Bill turned on his heel and started for his apartment. By this time, Cindy had switched from listening to CDs to the radio. As he was leaving, a song that defined their friendship came on the radio. It was 'Back On My Mind Again' by Ronnie Milsap. Bill whistled along with the song as he closed his apartment door.