The Power of Oldies

Have you ever come to a point in your life when you felt like you lost yourself? As if you are no longer the person you once used to be? Obviously, people grow and change... it's a part of life. The thing is, I feel like I've lost touch with a lot of things that once played a very important part in life. One of those things is gospel music.

Two points: first, I do not assert myself as religious. I believe in the existence of a God, and I pray to him sometimes in times of extreme distress. I'm supposed to be Catholic, but I don't even know what it means to be Catholic. I just know what I believe in and what I don't, and so I don't like labeling myself. Second, anyone who knows my music collection knows I listen to a little bit of EVERYTHING. 

But my music collection was lacking in gospel songs. I had a few, but nothing immediately worth speaking of except "Imagine Me" by Kirk Franklin. As time went on, I added a song or two. Then, yesterday, I was bored and surfing YouTube and happened across a video for "Hosana" by Kirk Franklin. A smile splashed across my face as I began to hum the tune before I even heard the song, remembering hearing it when I was younger. Amardo told me to shut up because he was listening to music himself so I put my headphones in and jammed. The song was so uplifting that I began to search YouTube for other songs I'd overlooked. 

The next song I found threatened to bring tears to my eyes. It sent a chill through my body. It's called "Lean On Me" by Kirk Franklin (notice a slight trend here? I LOVE Kirk Franklin). I almost cried because I remember singing this song in chorus in fourth grade. I closed my eyes and swayed slowly, mouthing the words, holding back tears. 

I get the same feeling listening to "Forever In Love" by Kenny G because it is such a staple at black weddings. Hearing it brings a sense of joy and togetherness to my heart in a soothing way. "Moments In Love" by Art of Noise also is quite the fuzzy-feeling evoker, if only because everybody knows that song (even though it is an instrumental). Go on...if you've ever listened to WNUA 95.5, you've heard these songs cycled endlessly. I only wish I were able to find HALF the songs I hear on WNUA. How much more relaxed I would be, how much calmer would my nerves be! 

I miss the days of instrumental music like those, of smooth jazz melodies drifting softly through the air, stepping with my mom and her boyfriend, and just having fun. Why don't they make music like that anymore??