Song Sung Blue
It's funny how music has the power to instantly transport you to another time, another place...My parents used to have this old stereo (a JVC) that sat downstairs in the living room. Not sure if you're familiar with these "entertainment consoles", but it was this large piece of furniture about 6 feet wide, 18 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. It was yet another one of those eclectic pieces that went with the many knick-knacks that filled the curio cabinets in our crowded living room -- my Mom's own little trophy collection from a being a faithful military wife. Various plates, vases, little ceramic dolls, little glass figurines... And this stereo was straight out of the seventies. Dark solid wood cabinet (it was pretty heavy), vertically ribbed black felt running across the front to cover the speakers. And the best part: my Dad fabricated two huge chrome plated steel letters: E A and stuck 'em on the front of the unit (just one of many strange things my wonderful non-comformist father did -- like stick letters spelling out "right side" and "sue side" on the bumper of my Ford Fairmont station wagon). As you lifted the solid wood doors on top of the unit, it revealed a reel-to-reel unit on the left side, a receiver in the middle, and a turntable on the right. State of the art technology for 1975, straight from the Navy Exchange (tax free!!) in Sasebo, Japan.
Well anyways, Saturday mornings during my youth, my brothers and I always got up late. Always. So my parents would have this ritual -- fire up the old JVC (they never listened to it during the week) around 9AM and crank up the music while they did some cleaning and some talking. And they would play all their old stuff...odd Polka marching music, some Country, Bobby Vinton, Englebert Humperdick, and of course -- Neil Diamond (the song that sparked the title of this post is playing on Yahoo! radio right now). Looking back, I realized that they weren't in a really big rush to wake us up... What I enjoyed about those lazy Saturday mornings was just that -- the laziness of it all. I remember listening in on my parents' calm conversations/tsis-mis (in tagalog) with each other. Subject matter ranging from drama about work, comments on how the neighbors were raising their kids, relatives that were arguing with each other. Keep in mind that my parents were usually stressed out, arguing with each other and yelling at us to clean up this and clean up that and get good grades and do well in school and go to college. And I would always remember those times that they would fight over stupid petty things -- like money and "you're not going to wear that to the party" and "when are you going to get that toilet fixed"... But on these sunny Saturday mornings, with the lazy kids getting waaaay too much sleep in their beds, the water sprinkler tending to the brownish/green backyard lawn, it was nice to hear a pleasant conversation; and if you listened close enough, you'd swear that they were in a loving relationship.
posted by VirtualErn @ 12:01 PM
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
10 Comments:
Speaking of neil diamond, check this out.
bwahahahahhaa!!!
I should watch Saving Silverman again.
Awwwww, great post regarding reminiscent youth.
It's funny how I can relate to your post. I also enjoy listening in on my parents' conversations. I may not really care much about the subject matter. It's their connection and exchange of pleasantres which displays their affection for one another that I seem to cherish most.
Then your description of your family's living room consisting of stereo cabinets (in your case, a full on "entertainment console") and curio cabinets filled with various knick-knacks reminds me our living room at home. I'm a military brat as well. Our family was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. My mother like yours also indulged on collecting various breakables around the house. It seems like most [Filipino] military families stationed overseas accumulate similar items compliments of the Military Exchange. :o)
My dad still plays Bobby Vinton and Englebert Humperdinck on our old stereo system. Yes, the system still works and still resides in the stereo cabinet located in our living room.
(sidenote: I hope you don't mind my comments [please do take them w/ a grain of salt]. I've just recently stumbled upon your blog and have enjoyed reading your posts thus far.)
My buddies had that same old school style stereo in their house and my buddy won't let it go. I don't know if he's got it hooked up or in storage but he refuses to drop it. We used to pop in some Osmond Brothers 8 tracks or some Bay City Rollers records. Sick...
Anonymous, I definitely welcome and encourage the comments! Now that I don't write code anymore, this has been a nice & fun creative outlet for me. Glad to hear that someone's enjoying the posts. :)
And regarding my parents, seeing (or hearing) the good parts of their relationship are memories I'll always cherish...they aren't ones to show any affection in front of their kids - or in public for that matter - so it's always refreshing to see it sometimes.
we had one of those pieces of stereo furniture that took over a third of the room. it was my dad's. i remember he loved to play ray conniff christmas songs on it during the holidays. it was also made of dark wood, had the reel to reel, turntable, etc. the lid weighed a ton, at least to me it did. only my dad could play it.
ahhh, memories...
....everybody knows one.....
...every garden grows one...
that song is also on the "singing when I was 3 yrs old" tape :P how random....
Hahahaha...Not surprising, all pinoys everywhere loves The Carpenters, Neil Diamond, Elvis and Tom Jones. :) Now I'd really crack up if that tape of yours had Heartbreak Hotel and It's Not Unusual on there.
Post a Comment
<< Home