Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Free from dust...

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.  ~Berthold Auerbach

The above quote pretty much hit me with a one two punch this weekend when Googie, Trouble, Bear and my girlfriend Rhonda and I enjoyed the Broadway musical, The Million Dollar Quartet, at the Fox Theater in Detroit.

Like watching time rewind right before our very eyes.

 We watched an old man struggle up a set of steps, than down another set of steps toward his seat.

We held our breath as we saw him wobble and weave and finally fall into that seat, first row, balcony.

He draped himself over the banister for support and hung on most of the evening.

Layer by layer by layer we watched as dust and time washed away when during the finale we saw the old man rise from his seat and began to dance.

He shook, rattled and rolled right along with the stars up on stage.

It appeared the Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins look-and sound-alikes had taken us all to that place this dreamy night.

It was hard to sit still.

And most of us didn't.

Watching the man dance Googie nudged me and said "mom, it's amazing how the music just takes him back, isn't it?"
 

Her words spoke directly to my soul.

It was a magical evening.

SiriusXM radio is a neat feature that came with my new car when I bought it a few years ago...a freebie at first, then they deluge you with offers by mail to purchase more.

Mine expired long ago and I didn't renew it...

(too many other ways to spend the flow, yo)

This past weekend I read that Sirius was giving us back our XM radio for two weeks..for FREE!!!

I explored and found a few channels in a row that I liked (in other words.. I can switch the channel while driving w/o taking my eyes off my texting)

(I'm kidding Marmie, I don't text and drive, my phone screen is far too small to see on the down low and I refuse to wear my cheaters in public)

My favorites are the decade channels.

50's 60's 70's 80's 90's .....

I'm slightly impressed when I take note that I  know a good number of the songs being played from each of those decades.

Almost each and every one I hear takes me back to somewhere I really liked to be.

I can see a very young Marmie dancing, dust rag in hand.

Doin the mashed potato, the (wah) watusi, the woolly bully.

I can hear my dad in the car crooning Love Me Tender along with Elvis.

I'm transported back in time to a moment sitting on my friend Fred's bed listening to Led Zeppelin.

Songs that dust my soul.

And take me back to another me.

The dusted off me wants to dance.

And sometimes I have no control over that.

The day after we saw the show I Googled Elvis' Jailhouse rock.

The minute it started so did my booty shakin.

And before I knew what was happening I was twisting for all I was worth.

I took my show to the upstairs bathroom and locked the door.


And I danced myself silly.

I shook, rattled and rolled.

My soul was so dusted and invigorated I almost cried.

And right then and there I decided that I'd quite possibly found an exercise that I could do that wouldn't bore me.

A sweat worth it.

So for three days in a row I've been using my laptop to find good songs and when I have I've danced myself breathless in that tiny bathroom.

You think I talk a lot..? You should see me dance.

With reckless abandon I'm rocking myself thin and healthy.

At least I was until yesterday morning when that miserable fun-stoppin Daddio pounded on the bathroom door and asked me if I was "okay".

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN THERE???" he bellowed through the crack of the closed door.

I paused the music, wrapped a towel around myself, then opened the door.

"I'm dancing" I told him.

"IN THE FREAKIN BATHROOM...???" he hollered.

He knew better than to ask any more questions.

"The tile can't take it" he said "the ceiling may fall through" he added.

"Were the lights flashing on and off too..?" I asked, imagining the lighting fixtures swaying with my twisting.

I'm taking my act downstairs to the basement, where we have no tile..and not a one of them had better come to spy on me.


I'm making a promise to myself to not ever allow my soul to get that dusty again.

I'm posting a video of  one of my favorite dust-bustin "products"...maybe your soul needs a good dusting too?



2 comments:

  1. Dance like nobody's lookin'...even if that's true. ~ coco

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great advice dear friend... xoxo

    (and believe you me, I do do do dance like that)

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete

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