Thank God for the Radio

Ever since I drove from LA to Phoenix after a long workday in 2015, I’ve been tepid of night driving. But when attending FAU Tulane on a spontaneous Wednesday with a buddy, night driving was part of the equation.

I had taken pictures of three radio stations I had “saved over” (you know, hold the station down for three seconds) during my time cruising around in the Infinity. The Infinity was being sold later that week – it could handle the two miles to First Watch or Panda Pavillion but not the 200 miles east – and therefore it stayed home. My ride was the Honda Odyssey. Car seat removed.

I miss driving almost as much as I miss jumping in the pool on a 105 degree day. So I got in the car and headed on I-75 to Miami. Thank god I got on some Sawgrass Highway to head to Boca instead. On the way up, I called my dad about a speeding ticket, my friend about living in Idaho and caring for his children (comparing fatherhood and life notes), and then my mom called me because she felt she missed out on the convo I had with my dad. So of the two hours, 1 hour 20 minutes was phone time, 15 was like figuring out where I was going, and only a few minutes were classic rock radio.

However, after courtside action at a fantastic D-1 basketball game, I got back in the Odyssey. It’s later now. 9:30ish. It’s not 11pm on hour 5 of a drive from LA to Phoenix, but it’s 9:30 and it’s dark and quiet on the road known to some locals as Alligator Alley. Called one Tucson friend. No answer. Called another. No answer. Krinsky answered but he gave me five minutes tops. Almost tried to connect to Spotify so I could listen to a podcast but there was a mishap which made me think, you know what, just stick to the radio. I did call Home to make 20 minutes go by faster because I was broadly speaking, “fading.” I wasn’t exhausted or almost falling asleep like I was in 2015, but I was fading. For the last 30 minutes of the drive, I tried a new strategy. Windows down a little bit. Bopping up and down. And just listening to the radio. On loud. In order, these were the songs that came on:

1. Faith – George Michael: This is a perfect 5 minute 30 second song to support the final 30 of the cruise. I love George Michael. I guess our family collectively figured out later on that “Father Figure” lyrics are a little odd, but it was the song my parents walked me around the living room too when I was two to five years old so I could fall asleep. That song will always be in my dreams. Faith is a little different, but it’s a similar tune, similar melody, similar vibe. A good vibe.

   
   

2. Grease – Frankie Valli. I couldn’t believe this song came on next. Grease is special to me and my family in so many ways. The one near and dear to our hearts is that my uncle is Scott Simon, also known as Screamin’ Scott Simon, who was a member of Sha Na Na. Sha Na Na is the main band in Grease at the homecoming dance, and Scott co-wrote the song Sandy. That amount of times “Go Grease Lightning” has been said in our house is over 1,000. “Grease,” the song, is the intro (and I think the conclusion) of the movie. You know, “Grease…is the way that I’m feeeeeeling.” A shorter song, but incredibly upbeat. So although it was only 3 minutes, it got me through 10. At this point I was off the highway – more street lights, more Taco Bells – I was confident I would make it without any worry

   
   

3. How to Save a Life – The Fray: This is a song that I think would probably be skipped if I was in the car with anyone else. Or maybe a volume down. But what did I do? Volume up and try to sing it. Look, I love music. I think I have talent in that arena (musicianship). Unfortunately, I don’t have a voice. But my cousins who do have voices told me one time that the verse in “Hallelujah” was my key. It’s on the record. How to Save a Life is a similar key and I sang almost every word as if I was in the studio recording. I’ve never been in the studio singing a song, but I was there a bit back in the day recording my classical guitar CDs. But here I was, about to be on Tamiami (US 41), singing “step 1, you do what you do…” – maybe making up lyrics, but singing them with so much belief

   
   

4. The Longest Time – Billy Joel: I love when the radio shows you the artist and the song, because if you hear the song and asked “what’s the title?” I would bet someone would say “For The Longest Time.” I don’t remember the lyrics sitting here now writing, but it was a perfect fourth song in this foursome. Now I was in familiar territory, on roads where I had driven the Infinity days earlier. We were almost home

   
   

As I drove past the sign that informed passerbyers that there were 310 beach parking spaces available in Collier County, I turned off the radio. I had 2 minutes left of the drive, and I was ready for peace and stillness and quiet – the worst combination when you’re tired on the road. The dancing and singing to the radio had concluded. But the radio had saved me. Not literally. It may have literally saved me in 2015. But in this instance, it just proved to me how spontaneously amazing it is. I mentioned I am tepid about driving at night. I will never stand down in an argument if someone on the other side of the courtroom is accusing the radio of not being relevant. It is relevant. It is masterful. It is a way to listen without thinking.

And I really believe in it.