Youth Appreciates the Classics

When my wife drives the kids around town, she puts kiddie tunes in the CD player. They listen to storybook tales or children’s songs. The number of times you can listen to Frog and Toad Are Friends or Wheels on the Bus Go Round before you go out of your adult mind is limited. Severely limited if you are already crotchety and selfish, like me.

When I drive the kids around town, I turn on the radio and listen to music I like. It’s my vehicle, so why shouldn’t I get first choice? Unfortunately, first choice is not always the final choice. When my kids call for a story or a kid song, I have to give in. One: I love them and want them to be happy. Two: I don’t want to hear the whining and nagging for the next hour. Three: I can turn the volume up in the back and down in the front so I can only barely hear it. And turning up the front AC or heat helps to drown it out.

A few days ago, though, we had a breakthrough. I turned on the radio and started surfing through the stations. My oldest son, 6 years old, said, “Turn on some rock and roll, dad.” Hell yeah! That’s my boy!

I tuned in to the local classic rock station and we rocked down the road to the grocery store. We heard The Eagles, Pat Benatar, Golden Earring, and other rockers from the 70s and 80s. And both boys were happy. Dad was happy, too.

This happened again today. “Turn on some rock and roll, dad.” So the first time wasn’t a fluke. It’s a pattern. At one point during our drive today, when a commercial was on the classic rock station, I went up the dial and stopped on a country station that was playing a song I liked. We listened for few seconds, and then my son requested I tune back to the rock and roll. Yes, he actually says, “rock and roll.” That is so cool to hear from a 6 year old.

Even the 2 year old was apparently fine with the rock and roll, because he made not a sound in protest.

But when I sang along with one of the songs (I think it was “One Thing Leads to Another” by The Fixx), I was told, “Dad, don’t sing. Turn up the radio.”

Okay, son. It’s a deal. I’ll not sing, and I’ll turn up the rock and roll.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com