A Song in the Car

I’m processing a lot this morning.

1. Over the past 2 months, I’ve faced the biggest professional challenge of my entire career. And if I do say so myself, I leaped into space I had no business playing in and this Friday I basically brought the ball over the goal line.

   So I’m still reeling from that.

2. Jack is off to camp as of last Thursday. It is a month without my guy and it comes with a thickness of both missing Jack and appreciating the simplicity that comes with being down to only three family members.
3. I’m feeling very much in love with my wife. Alex had a 2-hour diving practice in Philly last night. Usually one of us takes him and stays there at the pool.

   Last night Shani and I both drove him to diving. We dropped him there and shot to Mannyunk for dinner. We got beers and a plate of chicken nachos on the back deck of a place overlooking the canal. We chit-chatted about basically nothing, but I kept being struck by how gorgeous Shani’s hair is. She had on a blousy yoga shirt that was open in the back and as we walked to and from and car, I kept letting her walk ahead of me.

SO…with all that going on, I drove Alex to his swim meet this morning. He’s not as into swimming this year; it’s all about diving for the boy. But as we drove, he put on the Top 40 station and found a poppy tune.

Once I was seven years old
My mama told me to go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely

The song was “7 Years” by Lukas Graham. The lyrics are trite and the melody is pure candy. It’s a 25-year old sharing his wisdom about life. Instant channel change for me.

But I will say…there is nothing like having your 10-year-old sit next to you and sing along with every damn lyric.

No irony. No cynicism. Eyes forward and 100% in the moment of that song. His little voice.

My Uncle Coddy wrote a song called “20 Lifetimes” which is weirdly similar to “7 Years.” Coddy’s song is like a grown-up version of the same idea. Coddy has a lyric at the end:

I’ve felt forever in a moment.
I’ve lived a lifetime in a day.

And it occurs to me that during the ride this morning, as Alex sang that song sitting next to me…that was most certainly a moment in which I felt forever.