itsy bitsy bliss

a couple of nights ago baby was inconsolable. I’ve learned that a guaranteed cry-stopper is to sing itsy bitsy spider. no amount of stress can keep her from laughing when I get to the part where the rain “washed the spider out!” she loves the hand motions, the predictability of the movements and words, and surely, the enthusiasm with which I perform for her. but after 20 rounds of itsy bitsy effing spider, I’m done, so I just start thinking of words to songs from my childhood choral concerts. songs like “Happiness,” “Old Abram Brown,” and "One Tin Soldier Geez, I think maybe my elementary school chorus teacher had an agenda…

Anyway, I decide to stick to one tin soldier and simultaneously teach baby to be an anti-war hippy. so I found myself online trying to search the lyrics because I couldn’t remember the words to the falsetto refrain. As is usually the case with most internet searches, one thing lead to another and before you know it I’ve jumped from singing teary-eyed duets along with The Original Caste on itunes, to watching videos set to the song on youtube. (by the way, baby is a little fussy at this point but obviously intrigued by her mom’s newfound obsession.)

Don’t ask me how but I ended up watching old videos of Kenny Rogers and eventually Michael McDonald on you tube. Say what you may, both these men were a big part of my childhood. I’ve since come to realize that the reason I tend to lean on them as memories from my childhood is their strange resemblance to my actual father. I don’t have a picture of him but I do know that he had thick hair, a beard, and a mustache the last time I saw him. That was a while ago and his thick bush of hair was turning from black to salt and pepper. I’m guessing nowadays it’s more salt and a lot less pepper. so with that image in mind take a look at these photos:


“He came from somewhere back in her long ago…”

Coincidence?

I think not.



This needn’t be some sappy posting about why I’ve lost touch with my dad and apparently replaced him with some father figure images of country and rock musicians from the past to feel comforted cause how screwed up is that? My stepfather has filled the role of dad for quite some time now and I turned out to be (mostly) ok.

So what's my point?

I guess my baby comforting/soul searching session has taught me a few things:

1. I have trouble focusing
b) I think I miss my dad
3. I thought I knew a lot more lyrics to songs from the past than I actually do
4. Sometimes the Itsy Bitsy Spider is enough