Did you know that every 7.5 seconds, a baby boomer turns fifty? Why, you might ask, do I know this fact? Because we have two in our family who are turning 50 today…my brother, Roy and my Aunt Terri. Roy is six years older than me and the oldest of my siblings; Terri is my father’s baby sister. As I was pondering this occurence (the 1/2 century mark…LOL) earlier this week, I started thinking about the times we had shared growing up.
Being the oldest meant that he and I weren’t particularly close as children. I’m sure I was the typical annoying little sister and he, to me, was always “almost an adult.”
One thing that does stick out in my mind about Roy was his love of music. I had three older brothers and they all had stereos. So our house never had a quiet moment. My father reminded me last week that one of Roy’s favorites was Riding the Storm Out by Reo Speedwagon. He would really crank up the intro to the song. I remember him liking The Age of Aquarius and driving us all crazy playing it over and over. And I do remember teasing him about Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel…but that’s another story.
But Roy is the one who started me on my love of music trivia. Roy could not only tell you the name of the artist and song, most times he could tell you the album it was from and facts about the band. It’s amazing to me today how many artists I recognize and I’m sure it’s to Roy’s credit that I do as well as I do.
I also remember the summer that Elvis died. I remember that after the 10:00 news, they played one Elvis movie each night and that Roy and I stayed up together that summer and watched most of them. It’s the first thing I remember Roy and I doing by ourselves.
Roy and my brother, Jim, were trekies (Star Trek fans to us mere mortals). This was not a realm that I was invited nor welcome into when I was younger…and now…well, I have no desire to go there. No, I was a Star Wars baby and if you are of that generation, you know you can be one or the other, but not both.
As for my Aunt Terri, I didn’t notice the age gap quite as much. Maybe it’s because she was the youngest and the other girls in her family were married and had children not much younger than us. Or maybe it was the fact that I only saw her once a year and we had so much fun together that I just didn’t notice the age difference. I just remember there was always fun to be found when I was with her. And it usually involved water balloons, bottle rockets and Sonic drive-in. (Nuff said!)
Fifty…I remember when that was old to me and now, it’s just a few years away. It’s funny…my birthdays don’t bother me, but to think that I have a brother that old, was quite an eye opener for me. When I mentioned it to Roy, he referred to our father’s age and how he had been thinking he couldn’t believe our dad was that age. I guess it’s all relative (no pun intended).
I don’t know why I’m taking this trip down memory lane, except that it is three a.m. and I can’t sleep. I do know that God has blessed me with a wonderful family and that throughout the years, Roy has been there for me in countless ways, as has Terri. So I wish you both a blessed birthday and thank God for what you mean to me.
You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu
Writes 4 Him 
How wonderful! Our birthday greetings to these two…too!
To Terri so young at heart and her quick wit! Phone calls and typically an annual family reunion visit is always a joy!
And to Roy, who saves me from some personal “tech” stress on a regular basis! i.e. this week, 24+ hours after my current “tech” stress, he and wife Terry (not the birthday Terry) returning from an early week birthday dinner, stopped and had my “tech” stress reduced to smiles in 3-5 minutes!
We truly do have a wonderful family! xoxox
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Sonia,
Still loving your blog…keep it up!
I, too, am a music-aholic. I mark moments in time with songs, even without realizing it is happening until later when I hear the song and the memory is recreated.
I remember distinctly where I was when I found out Elvis died – marching band camp, on the practice field. It was hot, I was sweaty, and after we heard the news there was more silence than I think I’ve ever experienced on a beautiful sunny August afternoon. Then the low sobbing of some of the girls (and possibly boys, although I doubt that at that time they would have allowed themselves to publicly display their emotions.)
“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”
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