Ignorance is Bliss
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Technology is child’s play.
What do these two statements have in common? Me.
I find most technology to be child’s play, i.e., you need a child to do it for you. Unfortunately, my (grown) child (and part of my heart) moved to California this summer. Not only do I miss her, I miss her expertise. It has since become necessary to reinvent myself, starting with the daunting task of learning how to handle my own technology.
I’m proud to say I have mastered… Adding Songs To My Playlist! Here’s the funny offshoot of my newfound skill. Did you know you can still find and buy almost any song that was a hit back when we were kids? I dug out a box of old 45s to add to my playlist. (For you younger folk, those are records. For you really young ones, Google it!)
Even though I didn’t recall how some of the songs went, I did remember sitting in my room when my parents were gone, blasting them at full volume over and over, blissfully singing at the top of my lungs.
Such was the case with Get It On by a group called Chase. I LOVED this song with its driving beat and vibrant horn section. I had no idea the lyrics were about having sex in the morning because
- being a bit overly naïve, I didn’t know about those things, and
- I didn’t know “get it on” was slang for having sex.
There I was, a little girl blissfully belting out the lyrics at the top of my lungs, with no idea about what I was treating my younger sisters to.
Fast forward to today… I’m sashaying through the gym with my headphones on, inordinately pleased with myself as my new music, which I loaded on myself, starts to come through on my playlist. Then, Get It On queues up. Bobbing my head, the beat puts a spring in my step as I listen to, and understand, the lyrics… probably for the first time.
Realization hits me, followed by a wave of embarrassment and a loud burst of laughter. A few people turn around to look at me, but in this day and age, headphones are the great equalizer. Anyone with a pair of wires dangling from their ears can talk to themselves or randomly belly laugh, and no one thinks they’re crazy.
Looking back, I had no idea what my eighth-grade self thought the lyrics meant. I just love the music. Period. Ignorance is bliss. Listen for yourself.
Has this ever happened to you, looking back on a childhood illusion you understood as a youth, only to see it dispelled when viewed through your wiser adult eyes? Please share your own story in the comments, or email me at info@http://AwesomeMomTribe.com. Don’t leave me hanging here, people. I can’t be the only goober in the bunch ?
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