One Song - Many Memories

As I was on my way home last night, I decided to plug my phone into my car radio and listen to some newly downloaded music. Saturday, on the way home from Atlantic City, I downloaded about 5 new songs, one of them being "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. This song was one of the many Hanna had playing on her iPod in the car on the way home. When it first came on, my first thought was, 'Wow, mom loves John Denver. This is so weird.' The song brought back so many memories. We sung along to it. It was great.
Anyway, back to the main point. As I was driving home last night, I played this song. Very rarely is it that I hear a song and begin to cry. This was one of those times. As soon as the chorus came on, I began to bawl my eyes out. Every single memory that lives in this song, came to my mind.
First and foremost was trips up to Old Forge, New York with my mom and dad, mostly the trips when I was younger, around the ages of 4-6. Mom and dad would argue about what music we should listen to. Dad wanted to listen to the Madonna CD's we had and mom wanted to listen to the John Denver tapes. I was always the one to choose. Dad used to hate Country music, so listening to John Denver for him was probably like nails on a chalkboard.
Secondly, Kentucky trips with my mom. This song would always come on either in Kentucky, or somewhere in the boondocks in West Virginia. For everyone that truly knows me, you know that Lexington, Kentucky is basically my second home. So when this song would come on when we would be on our way to Lexington, it was kind of like a going-home song, if you will.
Third, horse show trips with my mom. Yes, the crazy little plastic model horse collection. Once again, when I was younger, my mom would always listen to the John Denver tapes on the way to horse shows. "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was one of her favorites, so she would constantly be pressing the repeat button for that song, and I'd hear it over and over again on the way to the model horse shows.
It makes me happy now that I can add one more memory to this song-the first trip I ever took to Atlantic City with dad and Hanna. It will remind me of how we were coming up the parkway, off of Long Beach Island, singing along to the lyrics. It will remind me that we previously listened to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and I sat in the backseat shaking my head. It will remind me of how we were screaming along to the lyrics of "Dancing Queen" by Abba earlier on that day. It will remind me of how we collected seashells on the beaches of Atlantic City and Asbury Park, and how I kept running from the water in Asbury Park trying not to get my boots soaked every time the tide came in. It will remind me of all the great music we listened to and how Hanna kept looking in the mirror at me in the backseat to see the weird looks I was giving the both of them. It will remind me of how I walked full force into a glass door. It will remind me how dad and Hanna were fighting with the GPS of where to get on the Atlantic City Expressway at. It will remind me of the first race I went to with the both of them. Lastly, it will remind me of the fabulous memories I had with the two of them, that I never, ever will forget.
It's amazing how much one song, that is roughly three minutes long can impact someones life. I love the fact that I heard that song during the duration of that trip. I'll never forget the memories that hide in those lyrics.