So Much John Cougar

St. Louis has so many memories for me. Some good. Some not so good. A handful are very memorable, like the time my girlfriends and I were taking my best friend to the airport to fly to Australia for a year as an exchange student. 

We were at the gate, everybody could go through then, remember?  We were waiting for her flight to take off and we spotted John Cougar sitting around (he wasn't Mellencamp again back then). So guess who goes up to him to ask for his autograph? Yes, your's truly.  And you know what? He said yes! He signed my pocket dictionary and I still have it to this day!!

I'm a sentimental type.  I keep journals and pictures and letters and memories.  Today was a relaxing day.  I sat back while my dad combined corn and my mom went and made meals for tomorrow's meals-on-wheels delivery.  And then I got into the boxes. Memories. Stuff. Probably 100 or more cards congratulating my parents on their beautiful new baby girl.  And oh what a sweet thing she was. And letters from family that I had never seen before, telling how happy they were about the arrival, and I read them, and I know I was loved.  I know that I am loved.

And here is my sweet little 3-year-old self, in my Aunt who loves me's wedding.  I seem to have memories of being a little bit of a wanderer during the ceremony and because of that being briskly yanked over to the groomsmen's side by daddy...so embarrassing, even at 3.  Oh poor me... I'm over it now, I think.

We're in St. Charles now for the night. Not the quaint historic district that I remember.  I suppose it is somewhere around here. We're at the Best Western St. Charles, by the Texas Roadhouse, with a waiter named Austin.  Salmon salad for dinner...no, I didn't take a picture.

I'm happy, relaxing and reminiscing with all the old music they are playing in the lobby.  That's kind of how we got to the John Cougar theme, but it actually started at the Love's travel plaza where I met my ride this afternoon. 

While in the restroom, I heard that old John Cougar song, Jack and Diane, which immediately reminded me of that airport and my pocket dictionary story.  You know, how music can bring back a memory?  So I was already thinking back and then we drove through St. Louis and it just brought back so much more.

And crazily, oddly, serendiptously enough, when we checked in to the Best Western in old everyday St. Charles, what was playing?  John Cougar.  I Need a Lover Who Won't Drive Me Crazy, the song. I noticed.

And it's quiet now in the room and I'm writing and I can't quit thinking about another St. Louis memory of a Christmas party.  I don't even remember where it was, but somehow I got there and he was there too and I saw him in his light colored blazer and maybe a lavender shirt.  He looked good.  So good, but I could only look at him out of the corner of my eye, because it would have been absolutely crazy to look right at him, so I only have the one image of him, coming around, getting some food on his plate and we met, our eyes met and I said, "Hi."

I think he might have said hi too, but I can't remember...I was gone.  To heaven.  So gratifying. So pleasing.  So good.  And it has lasted me a lifetime, the glance, that hello. Thank you.

And to wrap this up for today, the last blast from the past song I heard in the lobby, after I had grabbed some decaf coffee (it's COLD here!) and was heading back up to the room, was The Grand Illusion by Styx. I figured if I heard it, it must be important for something.  So I will share it with you, since you are important too.

Remember, we're on this journey together.  I don't know how far we'll get tomorrow, but that doesn't matter.  The point is to stay on the journey... and enjoy the ride 

May your evening be as cozy and pleasant as mine.  I'm onto a little bedtime reading now.  Maybe you will enjoy some too. I'll show you what's on my reading list tomorrow... until then.

Good night. XO XO