It's a party in the USA!

I apologize now for shamelessly using the title of a Miley Cyrus song as the title of this blog entry. Lame, I know. But just bear with me. (Plus, despite the fact that Miley is approximately one decade my junior, I am looooving this song!)

Music has always been the background of my life. Chris tells me that I pretend that my life has a soundtrack - and in my mind, it really does.

When I was in fifth grade, you could say I was obsessive about writing in my diary every. single. day. But not only did I give a full daily recap, along with details on the drama and intensity that accompany fifth-grade life (the gross boy likes me!!! I played Oregon Trail in the computer lab today!!!), I also made sure to write the name of my current favorite song at the top of each crisp new page. That way, I reasoned, I would forever link my favorite songs with exact memories.

And dears (or dear, depending on how many people find and read this blog), I must tell you, it worked. To this day whenever I'm lucky enough to hear "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey, my brain conjures up memories of our fifth-grade Apex party (which I deejayed), Whitney Houston's take on "I'm Every Woman" reminds me of choreographing a succession of leaps and lay-outs on the stage in the entry hall at Grandma's house, and I'll never forget how inordinately cool I felt rocking out to Ace of Base's "The Sign" - which was, incidentally, the first CD I ever purchased.

Songs are also tied to key events in my life. I heard "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories while riding in the car on my first day of middle school. I heard "I Go Blind" by Hootie & the Blowfish on the way to the hospital to meet my dear cousin for the first time. (Trust me, cuz, I was hoping for something waaay cooler than that. Something maybe like "Macarena.") (Hey, it was 1996, and I was 13.) I heard "Jaded" by Aerosmith on the way to and from my high school graduation. "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback (promise they were novel back then) takes me back to the rush of excitement that accompanied the thrill of going off to college, and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" takes me back to the final days before college graduation. You get the idea.

Naturally I was hoping for a fabulous (current) song to hear on my wedding day - but alas, nothing decent was out at the time. Nothing! I'm pretty sure that week was the worst in music history. (Don't believe me? Here's proof: http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/hot-100?chartDate=2008-06-14)

All of this to say I'm debuting in my role this weekend as a Matron of Honor. Granted, I've been a bridemaid a few times, a maid of honor once and a flower girl a while back... but this is my first go-round as Matron. (Couldn't they have thought of a better name for this role o' honor? Matron?? Really?!) Last night I advised the bride-to-be to seek out a song she will always remember from her wedding day. She said she already had, and she rattled off the name of some classic standard-type song that will accompany the couple's first dance. I clarified what I meant: "Like a current song. So you'll always associate it with this time in your life."

Alas, I think I am the only one who values such trivialities, judging by her puzzled expression.