In 1990, Pretty
Woman was a hit movie and "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips was at the top of the Billboard
Charts. I graduated from high school, began George Mason
University’s music program, and dated my first boyfriend.
Dad #3 had
disappeared and gone back to Germany resulting in a nasty cross-continental
divorce. Mom and I saw it coming. His “business trips” back and forth to
Germany lasted for longer and longer periods of time. The final straw was
a six-month stint that effectively ended the marriage.
My mom remarried
within the year to a wonderful man who adored her. His determination to win my
approval meant that he accompanied me to ear-splitting rock concerts and endured
housefuls of teenagers for “haunted house parties.” He was a happy, social guy
with a lot of friends and a great smile. Everyone loved him. His laid-back and easy-going manner
was a welcome change, and Mom and I both felt like we could breathe again.
My own life was
consumed with the rocker boyfriend I’d finally found. Three years my senior
(better than the ten-year-my-senior rocker from before), D was a talented
guitarist I'd met while working at Toys R Us. I would date him for the next
four years (until I began to develop feelings for his best friend, and then it
all went south—a story for another time).
That fall I joined
the music department at GMU and majored in voice. Most of the classical
training for singing involved performing arias and learning operatic techniques. I sort of got a
kick out of learning to sing with that kind of power and technical ability, but
I really just wanted to rip some Skid Row or Queensryche.
The music
department was a shock. I had never had formal music training before, and I
suddenly had to learn how to analyze orchestral scores, sight-sing from sheets
of music, and memorize symphonies and composers. After years of thinking I
wanted to be a singer and/or an actress, my dreams and plans began to
change.
Did you pursue the career path you originally intended?
Glad your mom did find someone finally who did adore her and seemed to want to have a relationship with you too :)
ReplyDeleteI did sort of pursue my career path. I always wanted to be a secretary; I did end up working in offices a lot, but still working in the field, just in a different capacity doing transcription. It was easier to do that and work at home when the kids were young than in an office :)
betty
I used to work in the secretarial field too, Betty. I really enjoyed it (much more than what I do now).
DeleteSounds like there a lot more to music than singing, and it seems there's a lot more to learn about you, especially your relationships. Falling for the best friend, oh dear! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, not so smart really...:)
DeleteI love all of these songs, particularly Silent Lucidity. I'm really going to have to go back and check out your other posts :-) Enjoy the rest of April.
ReplyDeleteOh how I loved Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime" cd! And Skid Row too of course.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young I wanted to be a detective like Nancy Drew! Then I wanted to be a writer. Then an arson investigator. Then a probation officer. But the Lord led me to the better fit for me. :)