Remember When?

It was the 40's. There was no TV, smart phones or Internet. We read, talked face-to-face, roamed the woods and listened to the radio shows. I eagerly waited for Inner Sanctum, Let's Pretend, Jack Benny, Amos 'n' Andy, Edgar Bergen, The Life of Riley, Dragnet, Fibber McGee and Molly, Lux Radio Theatre, etc. etc. My imagination would carry me into the worlds of mystery, fantasy and humor. The stories were not put in front of my face, but, through listening, entered my mind, enriching my inner world and creativity.

Then, later in the night, after my bedtime, I would lie in bed with the soft yellow glow of the radio and listen to music from distant, intriguing places. The local channel had left the air and now I could get the Big Bands from Chicago and Los Angeles. The static would come in and out, but I managed to find one station that came in clearly and that sent out music over the air waves, live from Chicago to my home in small town, northern Minnesota.

I listened, soaking in the sounds and dreamt of visiting romantic places one day! The music seeped into my being and has remained there to this day. We still own the records from that time with the great jazz, the big bands and music that actually had understandable and memorable lyrics that floated around in your head far into this future and some 70 years later was renewed last night in our civic center in Hot Springs, SD.

April 12, 2016, our Chamber of Commerce managed to bring the Glenn Miller Big Band to our town for a nostalgic evening, performing all of the old, familiar music. It was the present meeting the past. The enthusiastic audience was mainly the older generation, including walkers and wheel chairs that brought the elderly from our local state veterans home.

Now and then I turned my gaze from the entertaining Big Band on the stage to watch many in the audience sway and clap to the tunes from the 40's. It was a joy to observe, as well as listen to the band that took center stage, even more than the lovely, lead singer with a beautiful voice and a 40's hairdo, who stood aside when a band member took the spotlight with his instrument.

It was a sharp contrast to today with vocalists who strut and preen their stuff on stage, while the back ups are just that....back ups.

It is a different time, to be sure. Now we live with the music of today. As my husband and I left the auditorium I overheard an audience member say, "I wonder if the present-day music will live on another 70 years as does the older classical music and romantic musical arrangements from the 40's?"

I won't be around for another 60 or 70 years, but I wouldn't bet on it. Either way, I am grateful to have lived through the music from long ago, to have it deep in my soul, to last me for my lifetime. I am also thankful for that small white radio that gave off the comforting glow in my bedroom and brought me into another world of fascinating adventures and soul-stirring harmonies which have followed me through my years on this earth.

Thank you to our Chamber of Commerce!