September 20, 2007
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Maudlin Mommy
Today, Gockle and I were winging our way to his eye doctor appointment, when his pencil slid to the floor. In his rummaging to retrieve it, he came up with a cassette tape.
“Can we listen to State Songs, Mom?” he asked.
“Sure!” I said, and we popped it in.
Soon, Audio Memory’s State Capitals song flooded the car. “Sacramento, California; Sacramento, California; Phoenix, Arizona…” It took a bit for us to remember the songs, but soon, we were squalling along at the top of our lungs.
Just as we were on the second verse of Olympia, Washington, a strange thing happened. My throat got all tight and my eyes filled with tears. Was I really crying over the state capitals? Yes, indeed I was. (I also weep during the Awana song, so I suppose it is to be expected.) I was reminded of an era which will never return–the time when my children were perfectly content to listen to Wee Sing and educational tapes in the car. Those wonderful, idyllic years…
The day went on, and soon Hunter and Wit were in the van, too, arguing over who called their cell phone. “Maybe it was a wrong number,” I said. “Stranger things have happened.” This comment prompted Gockle to ask, “What is the strangest thing that you know?”
“Hmm…” I pondered, reaching for the van’s stereo power button, “I think it must be . . . people who don’t like to listen to State Songs!” On cue, the dulcet tones (HA!) of “Augusta is in Maine” blasted from the speakers. You’ve never seen two teens make a faster grab for their iPods. The looks of dumbfounded horror on their faces! Oh, it was so much fun, even more fun than having them like the music. Teens are a delightful amusement!
What song brings you to tears?
Confidential for MamaGlop–Gockle got his name because when he was a wee one, he couldn’t say “Michael” and christened himself “Gockle” for a while.
Comments (23)
How Great Thou Art and The National Anthem
Hey, I remember those! To this day, they are the only thing (out of the hugely varied methods we tried) that taught me my states & capitals. Unfortulately, I only learned those in a rollicking part in the song. I know Maine, Louisiana, California, and those sorts of ones.
The classic example is with one of my friends at Katie’s sixteenth birthday party. We think exactly alike. We were playing Catch Phrase, and I forget the word now, but it was a city. I promptly said, “The capital of Navada!”, Melody guessed it, and we went on. Later, Dad informed me that the capital was Carson City. Oops. At least she guessed it!
The song that makes me cry…well, there are some from my favorite musicals that almost make me cry. But the stupidest song that makes me cry is from a similar educational song tape – “I’m an Action Verb”. I was reading a book on Clara Barton in the car when that song was playing, and just as it hit that chorus my favorite character in the book was killed. I sobbed. For years, no one was allowed to play that song. I think I’ve just gotten over it…about eight years later….
I can’t say I’ve cried over a song before! lol Although I reeeeeaaaaaally don’t like clasical music, and my Alg. teacher decided to play it for us all today. Thankfully I was able to turn the vollume down on my headphones! A nice little feature that comes with cyberschool!!!
Yeah, I think I would grab my MP3 player if that song blasted through the speakers! Call me crazy, but it’s just not my favorite style. ha
Depends on the mood and the way my life has been going on a scale from ‘yay!’ to ‘shoot me, i beg of you.’ Now if it was music during a movie, which really makes the emotion, and the scene happened to be a happy ending or death of a favorite character i can say i’ve bawled my lot. I cried during Horatio Hornblower when Archie Kennedy died.
Not many songs bring me to tears, but many Psalms do. Since we sing them (metrical versions of them)in church, I am often surreptitiously wiping away tears at the end of them.
Your response to your teens made me laugh. Reminds me of our visit–it is so you! I don’t know how else to put it.
“And Can it Be”
I’m Proud to be an American–sung by Lee Greenwood, The National Anthem and The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Hallmark commercials make me cry, and “Welcome to Our World” a modern Christmas Carol. Tertia and I were talking about wonderful moving moments in film and video, and we both started crying describing one particular Hallmark commercial, and the scene in Sense and Sensibility where Emma Thompson’s character finds out that Edward Farris is still unmarried, and bursts into tears.
Your post made the eyes a little moist. I miss my babies too!
That is very cute about Gockle. Our kids still carry “handles” applied by younger brothers and sisters. I don’t remember asking…
yes, I am Zippy’s sister. Brilliant deduction! it was great having the Hunter and Wit at our youth party last Friday! only, I had a slight problem trying to think of Wit’s *real* name… I kept thinking, “Wit! Noooo, that’s not right.”
And songs that make me tear up…. “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood” is a big one..
“were you there?” “Trust and Obey”
About 15 songs by the Bee Gees, a few by Sinade O’Connor (Sucess has made a failure of our home), several more by Sinatra, a bunch from disney movies
I guess lots! I am just a crier apparently. I never realized!
Umm….I can definitely say that I have never teared up during any State Songs.
Although, I might actually cry during the Awana song. There are TONS of memories and emotions that come flooding when I even just think of that song…I actually had to rack my brain trying to think of the tune.
How scary is that?
I think I cried during “He’s My Son” (by Mark Schultz) once. And a couple of choruses from Handel’s Messiah…
I’m not sure if there is a song that will tear me up. But I can relate to remembering the times when our children were young. That too will put a tear in my eye sometimes, as I am sitting by my youngest who is coloring, stroking her hair. It’s amazing how fast that the days go by anymore…
“What’s the strangest thing you know???” haha that is funny. sounds like something my kids would ask. driving them around in the van is always so amusing.
we are in the van so much that they amuse themselves in the oddest of ways. the high point was listening to star wars lines sung to phantom of the opera musical score. … that was an interesting night in the van.
“I Can Only Imagine” and a song I just heard yesterday but can’t think of it! It’s a newer song about being in heaven & can’t wait for loved ones still alive on earth to be there too. I told Katrina, “I could never sing these songs in public without becoming a blubbering fool.”
Oh, and “Butterfly Kisses,” because my girls are all throughout the spectrum in ages but getting closer to the “giving away” day.
Oh, I hate those weepy moments! What if someone catches me?
teehee, i suddenly remembered another old song from kindergarten: “Can do, can do, can you? can do can do can you? Can do can, do anything! can do, can do, can you?” hehee…
I actually can’t think of anything.
Songs that bring tears to my eyes:
The Love of God, For All the Saints, Come Thou Fount, and It Is Well.
Song I love to sing at the top of my lungs with the kids:
Ten Little Freckled Frogs!
Thank you for the birthday wishes! Honestly, I keep forgetting!
“Free” by Stephen Curtis Chapman.
My kids are mortified that I’m going to resurrect those songs when we do geography again next year. They’re in high school!