Mixed Tape

Last night after dinner Nick announced he was going to make a playlist.  He heads to the computer and gets to work.  I go over to see what he's doing, but he doesn't want me to see the list.  Not yet.  Henry and I head to the living room and are playing when he comes in to see if we want to listen to his creation.  Henry seems confused as Nick hits play and turns of the monitor. What, no video?  We don't usually just lay in our beds and listen to music with Henry.  We have actually never really done that with him, but we used to with each other. Back when we were young.  Teenagers listening to the songs that spoke to us.    

We all three climbed in the bed and listened to this old school mix of songs that Nick has pulled together.  Counting Crows, the Verve, The Cranberries, Oasis, Harvy Danger.  You all, it was like a sound track to my teenage years.  And it was SO AWESOME.  Literally, we just laid there.  Sometimes with Henry, but eventually he got up to play with Ellie and Nick and I just piled on the bed together, enjoying the soundtrack of our teens.  Of the time when we met. Of the time when we worked in the little local coffee shop before there were Starbucks in town.  The songs we had on mixed tapes to listen to in our old beat up cars on our way to high school each day.

We really need to start teaching Henry the joy of laying in bed and just listening to music.  Or maybe he will learn on his own as he gets older.  And he will lay and listen to Counting Crows or Ben Folds in the same way I listened to The Beatles or CCR.  Respecting the music my parents used to lay around and listen to in their teens. The music that spoke to them too.  And Henry will find his own music to lay in bed and listen to.  It's kinda of sweet to think of him there, in his room as a teenager, just listening.

Nick says tonight he is making side B of our mix tape.  I cannot wait.

That coffee shop couple, about twelve years ago.  Back when the songs we listened to last night were actually popular.