Close To You

It's interesting the way an old song can take you back in time. If the song made enough of an impact it can evoke a memory associated with the experience you were having at the time.

I have many songs associated with many different memories, but there is one song in particular that every single time I hear it I have a very vivid visual of exactly what I was doing the very first time I ever remember hearing it.

The Carpenter's "Close To You" is that song for me.

It was summer in the early 1970's. My mom and dad were taking me and my brother to Dauphin Island for the day. My brother and I were always excited about going to the beach. The beach always seemed to make Mom cheerful and relaxed and dad always played with us. We especially loved it when he would let us climb up on his shoulders and jump off into the waves.

The radio dial was on a local station as we headed down Dauphin Island Parkway to our destination. Close To You came on the radio. My brother and I were in the back standing up on the back floor board with our hands grasping around the back of the front seats where our parents sat. This was before the days of all those pesky seat belt rules. We all sang along in chorus together as the song played along.

I felt so happy we were going somewhere fun.

For the past 40 years each time I hear that song it takes me back to that day we were headed to the beach. The memory is ingrained in my brain forever.

HERE is a video my brother uploaded a few years ago on Youtube of one of our family beach days.