In 2018, I am finally going to start a blog working through 365 days of impacts on my life. This is meant to tell the story of who I came to be in bits and pieces. This exercise is meant to show we are all shaped by the people, situations, circumstances, joys and sorrows that have impacted our lives. Sometimes we are influenced just as much through learning about what we don't want to be like, than what we turned out to be. Sometimes it is a stranger who makes a lasting impression on us, and we may never know their name. Sometimes it is those who've been the worst to us that actually teach us the BEST lessons. If nothing else, since I don't have kids, this will serve as an autobiography of experiences that have shaped my character since May 3 1965. I will try to include pictures where I needed. Some will not need pictures. As I enter my 5th decade, I can look back and say that In my teens (as most are) I was extremely insecure, unfocused and had stage f...
One of the teachers who impacted my life in middle school was an unlikely teacher named Mrs. Balch. Mrs. Balch was probably in her late 40s when I was in her 8th grade literature class. She was a quirky lady. I'm pretty sure she was a wine drinker, and probably was at Woodstock in her heyday. One of the assignments she gave us in 1979 was to take an album that we were into (yes all you millenials, back in the day of vinyl) and to analyze the meaning of the lyrics to the songs on the entire album. Not only was this one of the coolest assignments I ever got, but nowadays, kids don't listen to the total album. This was the dawn of NEW WAVE music. She was expecting us to pick something classic like Rolling Stones, or Beatles. But not me, I had to go for something cutting edge at the time. Most artists today are lucky they get even one hit single off a 10 song collection.Kids don't collect and cherish music like we did back in the day. The album I chose to analyze was self titled album for The Cars. Songs like Just What I Needed, My Best Friends Girl, You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, All Mixed Up, Moving in Stereo, and Let the Good Times Roll. This was the first time that I actually thought about what the lyrics meant to me. This was the perfect album for me to utilize as the lens by which to examine my teen angst through. Ever since this day, Lyrics to songs are HUGE to me. They reach out and slap you in the face right at the time you need them.
