As I've said before, I am required to take a different route every day to and from work when I walk. One of my routes is through the mall across the street from the Consulate. Usually I also stop and get a muffin and coffee on my way in too. However, I started to notice something, and it's made me regress to being a teenager.
Apparently South Africans LOVE early to mid-1990s R&B. Just now I heard "I Swear" by All-4-One. The other day I heard "Anniversary" from Tony! Toni! Tone! I even heard "Comforter" from Shai. How does that happen? I go to get lunch and the next thing I know I'm listening to "Freak Me" by Silk. Or "Lately" by Jodeci. Or even, strangely enough, "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" by En Vogue.
Here I am trying to have lunch in peace, or buying a pair of trousers, and instead I'm transported back to Senior Prom and dancing to SWV's "I Get Weak". Or walking on the beach after a date (which is what we ALWAYS did) and hearing "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men. Or standing in the parking lot of the Bennigan's with my friends trying to figure out what we want to do, but we never do so we stand in that parking lot for 2 hours.
It's hard to believe it's almost been 20 years since I graduated from High School. In some ways, I guess I'm still that teenager who appears to be loud and out going but is really unsure of himself and shy. I'm just about 50 pounds heavier than he was. That said, I have done some pretty cool stuff in the intervening years, including marrying my lovely and way too understanding of my geekiness wife, and having my two lovely children. Sitting at the foodcourt listening to that music again, it does take me back. I can picture certain times with each song, and they make me smile.
I just never thought I'd be having flashbacks while eating french fries in Johannesburg.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment