Lucy in the Sky with WHAT?

I feel like a child who has just learned that Santa Claus is not real!  My whole life has probably been filled with opportunities and drama which I didn’t have a clue was even possible.  For all I know, I could have been a trail blazer of sorts in something, but wasn’t, because I was too naïve, or chicken.   It’s possible that I could have lived a life oblivious to pain, disappointment, and a few insecurities if only I had the smarts to know I was being had.  It’s also highly probable I might have even “gotten” many a joke that I politely laughed at, as if I knew what the whole thing was about.

Recently I have adopted a new habit of getting into bed with my IPad and earbuds and listening to my new best friend, Pandora.  I have found myself drifting off to sleep to ocean waves, rain storms, ballads, and love songs which all seem to trigger nostalgia and sometimes tears.  With the help of my earbuds, I have been able to decipher the words to most of the songs.  Many are old songs to me, but for the first time in my life, I can literally hear clearly and understand the words of those tunes that heretofore have only been somebody mumbling, with a beat.

Some of my favorite music of the 70’s and 80’s tended to be the ballads and folk songs made popular by John Denver, James Taylor, and Peter, Paul and Mary, along with others.  As I would drive into Atlanta every morning, I would set my dial to WSB 750 to catch the traffic report and then find a station that had some good music.  I always liked the “elevator music” of WSB FM and some of the country stations whose call letters I have forgotten.   As usual, I could hum along with the music, but didn’t have a clue what the words were that were being sung before God and everybody.  

Now, I’ve learned a thing or two since the 80’s.  One of them being that the entertainment industry is rife with not only subliminal messages but downright obvious proclamations about a culture that, shall we say, isn’t one I was very hip about.  I’m here to tell you that my very favorite folk singer, John Denver, was accused of promoting some nefarious activities with his “Rocky Mountain High” which he vehemently denied, so I believe him. Some have even said that “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” wasn’t what I suspected and “The Candy Man” was all about some kind of candy making the sunrise, not the Candy Man!

Therefore, now when I plug up myself at night, I lay awake devouring every word of my favorites, listening for something that probably isn’t there, but because I know that SOME of my favorite little ditties were tainted, I’m paranoid.   Sometimes, it takes me two hours to finally decide to give it up and turn on the rain sounds so I can get some rest.  I can hear my children snickering now!