Retro Ties Us Together

Everywhere you can look retro is in style.  Music, decor, clothing and even food choices scream the past.  I am sure every generation feels their generation some how, did life better.  Just listen around, "we never did it that way", "we didn't have those problems in our day", "our music was so much better", "we parented better" and the list goes on and on.   I am sure my generation wasn't particularly better, it was just what was common and familiar to us.  Sin entered the world with Adam and nothing has been perfect since in this fallen world.

Even though is it is sometimes hard to accept the "new" ways, it is a great joy when the generations can agree and enjoy "past" things together.   Last year I had the giggly, teenage feeling of enjoying a familiar "past" with my son, who is 35 years younger than I am.  He is our fifth child.  As he pumped music through his room, I could join in singing every word.  Why?  The familiar songs were from the 70's.  I would apply my make-up with a grin, as I boobed my head to the familiar tunes.  Somehow my wrinkles and grey hair, seemed to disappear as I saw a eager, full of life, ready to take on the world,  teenage girl look back at me in my mirror.

This lead to my Retro Christmas purchase.  I mean, what do you buy a 20 year old?  The technology of today is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy past our budget, and he could care less about clothes.  Then I saw it, I just had to have it, this would be soooooooooooooooooo much fun!

A turntable.  Yes, that is right, a turntable.  One of those old forms of technology we had been force to donate years ago, as all the "new" technology made it obsolete.  Its purchase even showed the generational differences. As I spied the turntable I started toward my conquest, so did another woman in my generation. There were only two.  We both laughed as we grabbed the coveted retro item.  She was feeling the same things I was.......................memories of our youth.  We both made our way to the cashier, while others in our generation saw our purchase, questions started coming.  "Are vinyls coming back?", they hopefully asked.  To which I knew the answer, "oh yes, and also the old vinyls are popular with the kids today."  My treasure chest of vinyls were still in the garage. I couldn't wait to share this retro-toy with my young adult son.

Christmas morning came.  He was thrilled!  I eagerly ran to the garage to share my vinyl treasures, to share my knowledge of what 33, 78 and 45 speed meant on the turntable.  To my horror, part of my vinyl treasures had been lost in our last moves.  My heart sunk. I had carried them with me for over 30 years and now when I could share them with my son, they were gone.  We still had a box.  Many were my husband's own recordings.  He had recorded dozens of albums from his days in high school and college bands, to his own album with a singing group.  My husband's group was called Reflections, and one member is walking with his Savior in heaven, after a battle with cancer. again the past meeting our today.

The kitchen, which is also decorated in total retro, became our 70's memory dance floor.  I fixed Christmas lunch while belting out the songs I had song in my youth. I didn't miss a word. Songs I hadn't heard in decades just floated back to my memory. I was a youth once again.  All music evokes emotions!  It doesn't matter the genre, secular, classical, and even church hymns evoke emotions.  To say it doesn't is false, that is why music is so powerful for good or evil.

We laughed, we sang, we enjoyed the past together.  One friend said to me later, "can you believe our parents let us listen to those songs?"  Well, I don't know what she listened to, but although my parents were protective, I had my own level of standards, and my journey through my past youth didn't dig up embarrassing decisions, but a youth of joy.  These memories were good and that is what I shared with my son.  One song we laughed through was  I Am the Happiest Girl in the Whole USA.  I knew every word, that is how I felt in my youth.  Weeks later, not knowing our Christmas memory lane walk, a friend sent me the youtube video to that song, stating, "I saw this and thought of you."

Our day ended with countless hours of walking down memory lane with our sons.  Recalling stories and telling about the past artist we enjoyed.  Some albums were also their grandfather's favorite, yet many were artist that are still touring, playing to sold out crowds.  Some have recently died.  Who would have believed their music would have transcended the generations and even become a glue to bring them together?  So is the power of music.

There was even a bigger retro-walk in my vinyl record box. I am saving that revelation for another post. It is where I stood in amazement over the spiritual heritage the Lord had given me from the 70's.

So as we grow older and think this generation just doesn't get it, may we remember our parents and grandparents probably felt the same.  The sin of today isn't new, that is why the world needs a Savior, that is way Jesus came to die for our sins.  Our responsibility is to pray!  Let's  sow seeds for the future, while enjoying the positive fruits of our past, since our generation was also filled with fallen sin, that needed a Savior.