Ode to stationwagons and soundtracks.

I grew up with station wagons.

I can remember the first time my dad came home with one. I was pretty sure we won something. because I thought you were rich if you had a station wagon. ( I also thought you were rich if you had a trampoline. VCR. or those icee freezer pops. )

Immediately we named the very back seat the "tippy back." It made perfect sense because it was not just the back seat. it was the verrrrrry faaaarthest back seat possible. I am currently cracking up at this. Because, as usual, nicknames make perfect sense at the time and then stick so severely that we never realize it is not the legit name of someone or something. You should hear what the people in my family are called. We have a woodles. balls. bean. binks. scar tissue. boogerman, esquire... The list goes on. and is not always appropriate. because we arent.

you know what else was weird. being in the tippy and in a traffic jam, or waiting at a light. AWWWKWARRD. I think you realize that when you are 10 yrs old on. It is like a forced conversation with no ability to speak. you just stare through 2 layers of glass at a slight height difference.

The middle of my life ( if you divide it from birth to present ) has a soundtrack. I revert to it when I need to just check out and sit in the passenger seat. metaphorically the passenger seat of those gray station wagons we had. (preferably, on a road trip to Charlotte to stay with my Great Aunt. so many stories with/about her. Lolly)

We always had 2 of the very same family car. No explanation given.

We ruled.

So this post goes out to Rod Stewart and Paul Simon.  Because your cassette tape station wagon soundtracks were my jam.

and when I hear you guys sing, any concerns shoot out the manual window. of life.

too far? ok. but they do make me think of gatorade and slim jims. which were my regular gas station stop choice.

{Note:  before those guys, we only had one tape. ever. and we played music in our cars less than 5% of the time. It was a late 1950's - early 1960's mix cd (wake up little susie, love is strange, duke of earl, tommy and laura were lovers... you get the idea.) That tape by the way, I love with my whole heart.}

 So bring over some of your old Motown records. Put the speakers in the window and we'll go.