Thanks for the Memories, REO Speedwagon

On Saturday night a group of ladies gathered on the hill at the Durham Fair to see a band from our youth perform some of their classics…”Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore”,    “Keep on Lovin You” ,   “Take it on the Run”….  The band may be aging, but they still deliver and I was grateful for the reminder.  I’m not talking about the obvious.. a reminder of my own youth and the heady feeling of  group exuberance and excitement for the future.  I needed a reminder that we are all still capable of coming together regardless of our differences in age, political affiliation, education, gender,  societal status (is that a word? It is now)  or race.  There were very young people in the audience… very old people too… and plenty of us who are in between and remember REO in their heyday.   

 A friend and I had a brief conversation last night as I sat outside in the church parking lot waiting for my son to come out of the 5 pm mass, a requirement for his confirmation year.  She asked why I hadn’t gone in, and I told her the truth – it wasn’t required of the parents and I had shopping to do.

 I will make it clear here that I was brought up as a Catholic, but I am not religious. I do give my kids the same upbringing so that they can make those decisions for themselves.    My religion is about doing right by others, helping where I can, being kind and considerate and generous where possible.  I try  to see the good in people,although I’m not always successful.  Science makes more sense to me than what I was taught in my religion classes.  It doesn’t mean I KNOW.. it doesn’t mean I have any more answers or that I’m right in my beliefs. Truth be told I believe that if I was like my friend and had a real FAITH, I might be more content with the state of the world.  I don’t have that crutch and sometimes I envy those who do.   I asked my friend what she gets out of her Faith… and she said simply “I have to believe there is something better than this… People are so mean, I have to believe there is something better”.    

 Saturday night on the hill at the Fair, while REO belted out their tunes… we all sang together, swayed in rhythym together, forgot for two hours whatever weighed heavy.  It was my confirmation that we are all still capable.  Thanks, REO, for the memories and the reminder.

Fun Facts:

Where did the Band get it’s name?  “From a flatbed truck, first built in the early 1900’s. It was very high-speed and heavy-duty for its day, and was considered a milestone in the history of transportation. It was sometimes outfitted as a fire engine. The letters REO are the initials of Ransom Eli Olds, who went on to create the Oldsmobile.”

Where did the band get together?
“At the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Neal and Alan started it from their dorm, where they were roommates.”