This:
I wonder how many people of my generation know that Suicide is Painless is the name of the M*A*S*H theme song? Fantastic show. Steph and I own the DVDs for all 11 seasons.
When I hear this song, I don’t immediately think of the show. Images of Hawkeye, Radar, and Potter do pop up, but they come well after the vivid image of dinner with my family. Back in the late 70s, early 80s, we always had dinner together as a family. In the corner of the dining room was an old wobbly blue TV tray with our television on top of it. And predictably, at 6:30, Mom would tune it to M*A*S*H. Always watched it. These days, if I see an episode, it takes me about five seconds to realize the entire plot.
So why do I bring this up? Well, sound and memories have been on my mind a lot lately.
Spring has a lot to do with it. Every morning, when I walk to work, I hear the call of a certain bird. I don’t know what this bird is. It might be the mockingbird, I don’t know. I’ve never bothered to look it up and I never will. That might rob some of the magic of its call.
It might seem a bit weird that I get sentimental over this bird, but really, its not. It means an awful lot to me. I’ve heard this bird’s song nearly every Spring and Summer morning for the past six years since we moved to Decorah. Before then, it had been a very long time since I heard it.
How long? Try back when I was a kid, delivering papers each morning at 5:30am. Right back when we’d watch M*A*S*H at the dinner table.
Make sense now?
Cuz even in the midst of the Bum Frickin’ cold and wind gusts of 50 mph, I heard the bird this morning. It reminded me of the good memories that lay behind and the warmer days that lay just ahead. And sometimes that makes it worth getting out of bed.
Moose and Ink 