Getting My Groove Back

Well, I really didn't have much groove to begin with, but I am a child of the 70s.  Literally, a child.  I was aged 3-13 during this trainwreck of a fascinating decade.  After recently watching Argo memories flooded back.  While I had NO recall of the American Embassy workers who were helped out of Teheran by the Canadians and our government - the main plot of the movie, I do remember the planned rescue of the embassy hostages that ended in failure.

I woke up that morning in my twin bed with the green spread, in the blue-paneled room I shared with my brother. The bedside radio droned the news in somber tones. The sunbeams that flooded through the windows with promises of a warm afternoon and a bike ride after school, became lasers that zapped any enthusiasm.  For me, it was like those who experienced the Kennedy assassination, or later, 9-11, an unforgettable moment.  No doubt I ate my vanilla frosted, vanilla cremed, chocolate PopTarts (which I sometimes broke apart into the formations of various U. S. states as I ate them) and scuttled along to school, but the feeling of disappointment was palpable.

Several years ago, I attended church on the island for a while.  One Sunday I entered the small congregation and sat next to an older man.  As we exchanged pleasantries and I shared my work experience we found a few common acquaintances.  I had never met this gentleman before, and I didn't know if he attended regularly, but he amusing stated that he was there "to give moral support for his wife, who sang in the choir."  When I mentioned to one of my work acquaintances that I had met ____ at church the Sunday before, my coworker said, "well, he'd never tell you, but he's a real hero.  He was on one of the helicopters in the mission that went awry to rescue the hostages from Iran." 

I encourage you to see the movie, though some editing of events has taken place to increase the thrill, the story is still quite incredible, affirming the old adage, "truth is stranger than fiction."

 

 

The viewing of the movie also coincided with my desire to move a bit more into the modern age with the purchase of an iPod Shuffle (yes, the mini, affordable version).  After seeing Argo, I started loading a few 70s songs, you know the ones (those old enough reading), those that make you get on the treadmill and run harder or dance faster.  I've uploaded Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, and Barry Manilow's Could It Be Magic.  For those more daring check out Donna Summers's cover of Could it Be Magic, as well as K. D. Lang's I Will Survive (though Lang's version is not available on iTunes - see YouTube).  Also see Big Star's Thirteen above.  Big Star, music lovers find all sorts of connections when researching them.  Other 70s hits will surely follow, they are too reinvigorating not to revisit.