Nostalgia at its worst...or I am really missing my family and wish I were anywhere but here

I thought long and hard for about five minutes about what I’d write about today. I mean, after all, it is Friday and Jeanna is graduating from BYU (yay Jeanna!!!!!). My family in Utah is going to be partying and I’ll be stuck here in outer Mongolia with nothing to do except spend a scintillating afternoon grocery shopping with my FIL. I’m going to try and have a “normal” shopping experience this time, that’s normal for the rest of the world and not normal for me. It’s complicated I know.

I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic lately with Brien getting ready to graduate from high school and my ever present feelings of getting sooooo ooooold! So I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane using some of the greatest and the worst love songs of all time. Then I thought for about two seconds that maybe that was a topic for say Valentine’s Day. Then I thought again well that’s dumb, love songs are for ALL seasons and I enjoy being unpredictable and crazy like that.

But then, the more I thought about it, I decided that list would be entirely too complicated. Obviously the list of the best would include classics like “Crazy” by Patsy Cline and “At Last” by Etta James and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” by Meatloaf. And let us not forget the cheese factor of “Never Gonna Let You Go” by Sergio Mendes which puts it smack dab in the middle of worst and best because it all depends on my mood when I hear it.

What to do? What to do?

I hereby present my list of songs that were extremely meaningful to me during my teen years, otherwise known as The Time I Cried in My Bedroom and Lip-Synched Dramatically into my Hairbrush for Seven Years.

And remember, this is back when I looked like this. Although Kelly recently said she saw that picture and thought I was really pretty.

There were days when the only thing that got me through was the Chicago 17 Album. Thank you, Peter Cetera and David Foster.

Here is my list.

1. “You’re the Inspiration” by Chicago

I didn’t actually have a boyfriend who was my inspiration when this song came out. However, my friend JoEll did she and her boyfriend had been going together for like two whole weeks and this was their song.

I could only hope to find that kind of true love for myself.

2. “Open Arms” by Journey

It wouldn’t be fair to my 9th grade crush if I left this song off the list. There were a few Mt. View dances when they would play this song and I would giggle with my friends about how cute he was with that comb sticking out of his back pocket.

But, like the song says, “we drifted apart”, mainly due to the fact that we ended up in different cliques, I was a drama and debate geek and he was perfect.

3. “All Out of Love” by Air Supply

If you didn’t love you some Air Supply in the 80’s, then I don’t know if we can be friends. Why can’t I quit you, Air Supply?

4. “Keep on Loving You” by Reo Speedwagon

I kept my cassette player next to the radio at all times so that any time this song came on, I could instantly press record and play. And maybe, just maybe, this would be the time I’d get the entire song without the DJ talking over it.
Sidebar - Kids really have it easy these days with music pirating. In my day we had to work for it and it made us appreciate all the more when we got that special "Mixed" tape from our significant others.

5. “Stuck on You” by Lionel Richie

Oh, I know Lionel had other songs that were more popular. You know like, “Hello”, when he dated that blind girl that sculpted that weird-looking bust of him.

But this song was special because it was the song playing when I had my first kiss oddly enough at a debate tournament. I know crazy huh!?

6. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler
I won’t even lie to y’all (remember that’s North Carolinian for you all). To this day if this song comes on the radio I will turn it up and sing along complete with hand gestures. Drives Wes insane! I would recommend it for when you all have teens, I'll teach you the MOVES!!!

You would think I’d be embarrassed to admit that. And I should be.

7. “Crazy for You” by Madonna
This was back in the good old days when Madonna wore lace hose, fingerless gloves and those huge bows in her hair. I can’t remember who I was crazy for when this song came out, but it might have just been Madonna.

Who knew she’d still be around at 75?

8. “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera

Karate Kid II, anyone?

This song played a crucial role in my own personal love triangle. Neither one of those boys ended up traveling to Japan to use their Ka-Rah-Tay skills to fight for my honor except for in my dreams.

9. “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” by Peabo Bryson

This will always remind me of Bo and Hope on “Days of Our Lives”. Now that is true love.

I mean their love has survived eight fake deaths, three remarriages, several brain-washings and multiple misunderstandings caused by Stefano DiMera.
If that isn’t love worth celebrating, then I don’t know what is.

10. “Separate Lives” by Phil Collins

This totally summed up how I felt when my crush of over two years had to move away. I was devastated. I related so much to the movie “White Nights” and this song, except that we weren’t apart due to the Cold War and my need to be a ballet dancer.
We were apart because his dad got a new job in another city.
But still, the similarities were uncanny.

I realize I have left out many, many quality songs. It is hard to narrow down the quality music from the 80’s and I already feel bad that “Heaven” by Bryan Adams didn’t make my list. Not to mention “Babe” by Styx and “Is This Love?” by Whitesnake.
However, I tried to limit it to songs that meant something to me. Songs that reflect a time in my life when real love wasn’t measured by superficial things, but by the proximity of your locker to the one you loved and whether or not he had a driver’s license.

So, what about y’all (remember that's North Carolinian for YOU ALL)? What are the songs that made you want to couple skate every time you heard them or whatever the cheesy teen thing to do at the time was during your seven year stretch of stupidity silliness.