Songs to Remember

Isn't it funny how certain songs can remind you exactly where you were in your life when you heard it the first time? Music is the soundtrack of our lives.

My late husband, Don, and I lived in South Florida when we were first married. We lived in Homestead in a small, furnished apartment that looked out towards the pool. We were newlyweds, and broke most of the time, due to the fact that we had bought a "lemon" on our way to Florida. We had plunked down cold cash when we bought the Impala in Kentucky and I'm sure the salesman was laughing all the way to the bank after we left. But what could we do but deal with it. And that's what we did. I took a job at a convenience store across from our apartment complex. My husband drove the car (when it wasn't in the shop) to his Army post in the Everglades. When I worked late on Fridays and Saturdays Don would help us keep the beer stocked, because we were so busy. After I got off from work, we'd order a pizza from Pizza Hut next door and stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching old black and white movies on TV. It was a simple time and we explored South Florida and visited the tourist sites in Miami. It was in Miami that I was sworn in as an American citizen, along with 800 other newly-minted Americans.

One song that always reminds me of those sunny, carefree days in Florida was "Key Largo." It made the charts briefly, but I liked it. "We had it all, just like Bogey and Bacall starring in our own late, late show, sailing away to Key Largo." We drove to the Keys a couple of times; Key Largo was only 30 miles away.

 Another popular song at the time was "Escape," better known as the "Pina Colada" song. It's a catchy tune and every time I hear this song, and "Key Largo", on the radio, it takes me back to those early married days in South Florida.

Happy Valentine's Day!