Posts Tagged With: travel

I never thought about it until my niece, no more than 8 years old at the time, mentioned it: “Uncle Mike,” she said. “You’re always singing.”

Hmmm. Kid told me something about myself I never stopped to think about. Singing or humming a tune was the norm for me. Mention a word – any word – and without missing a beat I could sing a song right off the top of my head that included the particular word. How’s that for talent? 🙂

An old Army buddy – Larry Vaughn – once came to me with a song he had heard. It was Sister Sledge’s “Lost In Music”. Larry said that was henceforth my theme song. He said I lived for music. Very true. When my friends were just getting hip to some “new” artist, usually I had long known about said artist.

I realize now that music is my life. It has always been there, through good and bad times. Music is what pulled me through. And music has been ever-present on my journey around the world. Fact is, I could never make this trip and remain sane without my music. On those very long bus trips I plug in my iPod and I’m transported by a song to someplace other than the smelly bus with livestock I’m sitting in. Okay, I exaggerate a bit. Most of my travels by bus have fortunately been in high-end buses with all sorts of comforts. A few here and there have left much to be desired. But you get my point, don’t you? Without music to soothe the beast within, look out world!

My iPod Touch is so loaded with music that I had to shut down other features – such as loading photos on it – to make room on its 32-gig disk. And my taste for music is extremely eclectic – there isn’t a category of music that is not loaded in that treasured device. I can go from listening to hip-hop, to pop to rhythm and blues to country to rock to country to opera and classical in minutes. Music for all my moods 🙂

I am especially fond of some artists that are not exactly mainstream and others who are. And some albums in particular I could not go without. Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In The Key Of Life” I listen to time and time again. And Erykah Badu always inspires me. The British duo known as The Lighthouse Family take me on a journey every time. And I would go to the ends of the Earth for a Gotan Project concert. Then there’s Kings of Leon, Green Day, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, 80’s music and much more – thanks!

My trip would end immediately if the music Grinch stole my music. I’d pack my bags and just go home. And that’s no exaggeration. Okay, maybe a little 😛