This past weekend, I got to re-live some of my formative years in the music that was played on stage at the Brownwood Reunion, both by the headliner, and by my own band. I was a child of the 90’s, graduating High School in ’96. I grew up listening to the music of that era, grunge it was called, and it shaped who I became, at least musically.
I really enjoyed the reminiscence that was provided to me by Everclear (Not often a product with that name makes people recall ANYTHING) and the music that we played, however briefly, in The Downtown Mile. I got to feel like the high school kid I tend to still act like. (Or so I’m told) Granted, once the adrenaline wore off, my knees, and head, were throbbing!
Nostalgia is an interesting thing. It makes us wistful for the “good ole days” of our youth that we never thought would end. If we try to go back now and watch the television shows or listen to the music of the era, it comes off as tired and dated, much to our chagrin. I remember as a young child watching the Dukes of Hazzard on TV with my parents, and loving every minute of it! That car, the cousins, the jumps! I wanted to be a Duke-boy so bad I could taste it.
When I was older, I saw the 1st season on DVD and snatched it up like a man dying of thirst snatches a water bottle from the fridge. Got it home, and got through about 1/3 of the first episode before I realized, man, I used to WATCH this stuff?!? Through the filter of time it was a masterpiece of entertainment. (OK, using a bit of poetic license herer, just go with it) However, it was almost painful to endure. I got through the whole season, mainly on principle, but didn’t dare bring myself to watch another season, even when I saw season 2 on sale at Hastings.
Experiences like these, and others in that vein, make me realize that saying “Live in the now” is so very true. Learning from our past is something we all have the opportunity to do, but so few rarely act on it. Similarly, we all make grand plans for that grand day in the future when the world is completely in order, and we have all lost that extra weight and saved up just the right amount of money! Cause, you know, that’s actually going to happen!
I keep telling my 10 year old daughter to enjoy her life as it is now, because it’ll never be exactly this way again. When she says “I wish I was 16, a High School kid, etc.” I not only want to strap a brick to her head to keep her from growing, I want her to realize just how good life is right now for her, and that despite its appearance, the older you get, the harder it becomes.
Ain’t that a mouthful…
Ben Cox is the morning show host of “Ben Cox in the Morning” on KQBZ, 96.9 FM in Brownwood Texas. He is the new in-stadium voice of the Howard Payne Yellowjackets football team, & Ben is also an event DJ for weddings, parties and the like.
The thoughts and comments reflected in this column are those of the writer alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Wendlee Broadcasting, or its affiliates.