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Cool it Now
A 30-day Series of Music Memories
Riding the bus to school in the morning as a kid didn’t leave a lot of fantastic memories. We were all piled in there, grades kindergarten through five. But, we had a memorable bus driver who cleverly negotiated to play our music over the bus speakers if we were well-behaved.
Some of the more outspoken fifth-graders usually had a cassette tape or two on hand. I remember a chorus of kids singing along to New Edition’s “Cool it Now” when it first came out — a song we all knew from repetition and radio airplay.
The song floods my mind with memories like the smell of too many kids in an enclosed space. I remember how if I wore shorts or a skirt, the backs of my legs would stick to the Naugahyde-covered seats if I sat in one place too long, and that strange sticky ‘unpeeling’ sound when standing up. Oh! And the occasional inconvenience of stepping in gum.
I also remember how much fun it was when a whole bunch of kids would sing the songs they knew. I was usually too shy to sing along with them, but listening made me smile. Music made the bus ride feel a lot shorter and way more pleasant.
Is there a song that made better a not-so-great experience in your life?
☕️ Jaimee
CONTEXT: This is part of a series of music memories, a 30-day writing exercise to help get unstuck.
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