A CHAT

A couple of weeks ago, after blowing away the dust that had settled on my blog, I heard one of my favorite songs and was inspired to write about it. It's by Keane, called "Somewhere Only We Know". Halfway through writing, I went to my daughter's spring choir concert and unbeknownst to me, they sang a beautiful version of this song. I took it as a good sign.

From what I gather, it’s about a guy trying to talk to his partner on how to go back to a time and place where they were the most happy. Which ultimately makes sense - - it's everyone's goal in life.

To me, I heard it differently. To me, it was a journey of my older self going back in time and visiting my younger self - my eight year old self to be exact. I remember vividly being eight years old and being so happy - life was carefree and with such promise. I was never stressed or had one single worry. As we go forward, the steps we take sometimes become harder and things can weigh you down. In listening to the words, I took hold of my tiny hand and went to a place where I remember fondly....sitting in the grass of my old backyard, sun shining down on our faces...past and present... just chatting about life.

You decipher:

Somewhere Only We Know

Keane

I walked across an empty land

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand

I felt the earth beneath my feet

Sat by the river, and it made me complete

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree

I felt the branches of it looking at me

Is this the place we used to love?

Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute, why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go

Somewhere only we know?

I had an idea of what I would say to my younger self. Two things I would tell her immediately...one was to get her sorry ass to the gym right after childbirth because her older metabolism is not so friendly :) Secondly, and probably most important, I would tell her NOT to go to her friend's house at 13 years old to watch the movie, The Exorcist, in the dark. Even though her mom told her not to go - she didn't listen and is still horrified to this day!!!!!

What I might tell her, was maybe to go to college and try to get a job in advertising or photography because she loves to be creative. I might tell her to travel to different places or read more books. To get out of her comfort zone and try new things, like scuba diving.

I would tell her that as she rambled on about how a Knight in Shining Armor was going to rescue her and ride her off into the sunset, that some relationships work out and some don't. I will tell her that no matter what happens, it will be for the best. And that Knight in Shining Armor... is within herself.

I would tell her that she is going to make many, many mistakes along the way but not to worry - the mistakes - from the smallest to the biggest are going to shape her into the strong person she is today and she will learn from them.

You see, every decision and every step that I have made and taken has led me up to this exact moment as I type this. Do I wish some things did not happen? Absolutely. Do I wish I did different things in my life? Definitely. Do I wonder what would have happened if I went left instead of right at a crossroads? Often. Yet, if I didn't go down the road I did or made the decisions I have, I wouldn't be here laughing so hard with my friends that we cry, or be a part of the amazing family I do have, and mostly, I would not have the two children I do, who I love more than anything. I wouldn't have the life that I do.

And so what sage advice would I give my younger self after our chat? I would simply smile and tell her never to change a thing.

Till next time....