Peter Cetera

I listen to Pandora at work almost all day.  I've found that if I am picking what I'm listening to than I focus less on work and think too much about the music, but if I let Pandora make my choices than it fades into the background.  My Pandora is mostly a mix of Dave Matthews, folksy worship, people that sound like Marvin Gaye, and 80's soft rock classics.  I know, I know.  I'm the coolest person you know.
This didn't just happen.  I have had the same "station" for 3 years now.  I am the kind of person that will thumbs up and thumbs down so that the algorithm can match my taste exactly.  I think I have arrived.  I seldom have to select anything.  It just knows how I'm feeling and what I need to hear.
You know what I need to hear?  I need to hear Peter Cetera.  I can't get enough of him.

Obviously this has bothered me for over a year now.  If you were addicted to the music of Peter Cetera wouldn't you be a little bothered as well.  I contemplated why I care so much about his music.  Why is that when his voice comes across my Pandora feed I have to stop and just listen to the song?  I figured it out this week.

It reminds me of riding with my dad in his Caprice Classic home from the driving range in Rapid City, SD when I was in early elementary school.  He would turn on his light rock station and I would fall asleep in the passenger seat of the car.  I would try so hard to stay awake, but I just couldn't do it.

I didn't realize it at the time, but my life was perfect back then.  I had no worries.  The world was huge and full of possibility.  I believed I could do anything and I never heard negative voices.  Maybe I did, but I didn't listen to them.

Peter Cetera's voice takes me back to that front seat next to my dad living in peace.  I love that memory.  I hope that I'm making those for my kids.  I wonder what weird music they will relate to me...


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