. . . endured scorn, humiliation

as only a mother can, from her child. I told my daughter yesterday that I had purchased my first Itunes for my Ipod. All the other songs on my Ipod had been downloaded from my computer. I was proud of myself that I had figured out how to do it all by myself. She said, "And what did you pay $.99 for?" I hesitated. . . I knew what was coming. . . reluctantly I gave out what I thought would be the least objectionable artist, Dusty Springfield. "DUSTY SPRINGFIELD?? What songs?" "Well, one was 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." "Oh, for god's sake, Dusty Springfield. What else?"


Okay, now, this was getting to be kind of fun. . . how loud could I make her groan. "Well, Andy Williams's 'It's My Happy Heart.' " Complete silence for a beat or two. "Oh, I don't believe it. Anything but Andy Williams." For some reason Andy Williams was proof positive of my total lack of musical judgment. "What else, Mom?" I'm thinking, let's cut to the chase, let's give out the really big one, the one I know she'll freak over. " 'I Am Woman' by Helen Reddy." Hysterial laughter from the other end of the phone line. "Has Matt seen your playlist?" No, Matt has not seen my playlist, and at this rate, no one younger than 50 will ever get a look at it. "Matt bags on my playlist, I wonder what he'd say about yours." I don't want to know. "Mom, do you have anything on that Ipod that was created after, oh, say, 1985?" "Well, I think I have one John Mayer song." "That's a start. You should try. . . " (and here she listed several artists that she thought I would enjoy, but I have already forgotten them.) What Stef doesn't know yet, but will when she reads this, is that I also downloaded "Afternoon Delight". Yeah, that one. What a catchy little tune, don't you think?


My kids grew up listening to my music . . . on the car radio, but mostly on Saturday mornings when I cleaned the house. I would put an album on the stereo or in the tape deck, and sing and dance while I dusted and vacuumed. They were trying to sleep until noon. It was a small house with naturally good acoustics. I played mostly Motown, which is still my favorite. But I still believe that the best rock songs were created absolutely prior to 1985, and possibly prior to 1975. And I still think Dusty Springfield's "Tupelo Honey" and "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" are as good as it gets.