The memories behind the songs.
Recall that memorable moment in the movie When Harry Met Sally, when Harry contends that men and women can’t sustain purely platonic friendships because “the sex part always gets in the way.” Sally counters, sparking a spirited debate on whether it’s feasible for men and women to maintain close, non-romantic relationships.
In my adolescence, two girls proved that Sally’s thesis can be true. At the same time, I’m not so naive as to dismiss Harry’s point…that closely guarded fantasies in the mind of a seventeen-year-old boy can merely a decision away from ruining a friendship.
Vicki and Carole were among my best friends as a kid. That sacred line was never crossed (sorry Harry, but in this case Sally was right), preserving a relationship that grows sweeter and deeper to this day. My wife Karen shares a 50-year friendship with them as well.
What’s the cement that holds this together?
Memories, easily resurrected by a certain chorus or theme from a stage production or movie. As I approach the dusk of life, I am evermore convinced that music and its music makers are a gift from God. For me, they can evoke a lone tear, a wide smile, or a momentary ride on Peabody’s Way-Back Machine*.
Memories that remind me that this life has been worth living. There’s plenty that’s wrong in this complicated world, but music is among the ties that bind. Designed to remind us about the good, and to serve as our prayer to the cosmos for peace and a more just world.
Some shared memories from Vicki and Carole:
Vicki…
My dearest Mike, I have so many memories that include you, I’m not sure where to start…I remember slow dancing to the sounds of the Righteous Brothers at the school dances and Mrs. Cohen saying to everyone “not so close.” I remember all the Beatles songs and especially listening to the “Owls” playing, often in Marti Rotkel’s house. I remember walking down the aisle to you and Doug singing “Beautiful.” That memory lasts with a smile even though the marriage didn’t. I mostly remember being often terrorized by you and Brad while on a date and often coming home and finding the two of you chatting away to my mom while she was in the kitchen making you French fries late at night. Then there were all the songs that we played on my record player and you often singing along while my Dad would make sure the door stayed open. So many memories and only fond ones of you. Love you, my dear friend.
Carole…
Mike and I attended the same junior and senior high schools. Theme from a Summer Place…closed each Friday Sports Night when the ASB President announced that it was “the last dance of the night.” Every girl hoped that their current crush would ask for this dance. Even if it was the first time you’d been asked to dance all night, it held high esteem in the world of middle school romance. Not gonna lie. It still makes me swoon a bit when I listen to it. The power of melody to whisk you away to a different time and place…
After my wife Karen, these two ladies hold the most special places in my heart. I think of them every time I hear Carol King’s song, “You’ve Got A Friend.”
Since you’re reading this post, I know you too are warmed—dare I say healed—by the elixir of music.
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