Audiobooks have been my go-to for long drives, but when the latest download didn’t hold my attention, I switched gears and tuned into my music library.
I didn’t choose a particular playlist. Instead, I let my phone shuffle through songs. Whether by fate or my particular mood, each title struck a personal chord in me.
The Eagles’ “Best of My Love” sent me back to my parents’ kitchen where my older brother John helped me perfect the art of slow dancing to prepare for my first homecoming date. I hopped and bopped inside my car to “Crocodile Rock,” just like I did as a middle schooler.
I continued to dance — car dance — to “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. In my mind, I was at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh moving and shaking with my daughters and the actors who performed onstage in “Mamma Mia!”
And for a reason that will remain a mystery, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (Streisand and Diamond) made me think of Mary MacGregor’s “Torn Between Two Lovers.” During the time that MacGregor’s song was getting way too much playtime, two boys, via separate invitations, invited me to see her in concert. I solved the dilemma by staying home. Later, one of those boys became my husband, but Mary MacGregor never made my playlist.
