Yesterday Once More - Taking A Look at Looking Back

Recently, I realized how much certain songs define my past. A certain song will come on the radio, and I'm suddenly transported to another time, another place, another year, another lifetime. I realize it is like this for many of us; in fact, numerous songs have been written to remind us of other songs we've heard (Kenny Chesney's "I Go Back" comes readily to mind). Looking back is a good thing. It reminds us of who we were, what we were going through at the time, and, hopefully, shows us how far we've come since then. I thought I'd share just a few of the songs closest to my heart and the memories they bring back: 

1) "Absolutely (The Story of A Girl)" by Nine Days 

This song takes me back to the summer of Driver's Ed in all its glory. At first, we drove around town, practiced the basics, and laughed as our instructor attempted to stomp through the passenger's side brake pedals. We'd roll down the windows, crank up the radio, and we were ready to go. A crush of mine also took Driver's Ed with me that summer. I'll never forget his name, mostly because it was so funny to say: Joey VanWingerden. He thought I didn't notice every time he glanced at me in the rearview mirror when this song came on, but I did. Every time this song comes on the radio, I'm suddenly 16, in that yellow Driver's Ed car with the windows rolled down, and an endless world of opportunity stretched out in front of me. 

2) "Run To Me" by the BeeGees

This song takes me back to the night I found out my grandparents were getting divorced. They'd been married 42 years. We never saw it coming. I'll never forget being in the basement and hearing my mother come running downstairs, put on this old 45, sit in a rocking chair, close her eyes, and listen. Looking back, I will always wonder what my Dad was doing then. After all, they were his parents. Part of me wishes I'd gone upstairs and talked to him, but I was captivated by the song and my mother's rocking. Afterwards, she told me what had happened, and I'll never forget the feeling like my world was crashing down. Every time I hear this song, I'm suddenly a scared 13 year old again, wondering how something like this could ever have happened. 

3) "When the Sun Goes Down" by Kenny Chesney

This song is the summer of 2006 for me. It was so popular that summer, and Jon and I were on our honeymoon at Virginia Beach. Everywhere we went, this song was being played: restaurants, outdoor pavilions, stores...everywhere! It brings back all those wonderful honeymoon feelings, along with the smell of the salty air, the taste of terrific seafood, and memories of long walks on the beach. The whole of married life is opened up to me, and all I want to do is just be with my babe.

4) "Bad Day" by Daniel Powder

Lastly, this song takes me back to my senior year of college. It was uncanny, but every time my best friend Jenn & I were having a terrible, awful, no good, bad day, this song would play on the radio. We were doing our student teaching together at the local high school, and there were plenty of bad days to be had too. Our days were filled with bratty students, professor observations, lesson planning, assemblies, fire drills, lockdowns for drug busts, and nosy teachers. It's a wonder we graduated at all. Throughout our friendship, Jenn and I have gone through a lot, and for the rest of my life, this song will embody our friendship - no matter what happens, I know she is there for all my bad days. 

Those are the top four for me. What are yours? What are your defining songs? Whatever they are, let me share a secret: no matter how great the past was, don't live in it. The past is over and done with. Maybe it was the best, maybe it could have been better, but you're in the present, and you have to think about the future. Living in the past only makes you less of a force in the present. How many marriages, friendships, and jobs have been lost due to living in the past? The past wasn't better; you just see it through those rose-colored glasses. Remember the past, yes, but don't dwell in it. Don't let your songs stunt you and your growth for God's kingdom. Don't let Satan use them as a trap to keep you from being the most effective soldier you can be. Cherish the past, but look towards the future, and live in the present.