I picked up a young man from a bar tonight (I would say he was in his 20’s) and he was quite inebriated and quite jovial. He was on the phone talking to someone as he got in the car. He was screaming at the guy and laughing and of sounded like he had a great night. He was carrying on with whoever he was talking to as I started to drive off.
Then, he suddenly stopped, put the phone down and asked
me if the song that was playing was U2.
I replied, “Yes.” It was “With or Without You.”
He said that he should be having a beer right now. He
always had a beer while listening to this song.
“My dad always listened to this music. He got me into it.
Especially U2. I should have a beer.”
He could hear his friend screaming on the phone and he
hung up on him. There was silence as we listened to the song. When it reached
the chorus he sang along to it, belting it out.
“With or without you oo oo, I can’t liiiiiive, with or
without yoooooou.” After the song was over, he shouted “Pops!” And then he was
quiet for the rest of the ride.
A few more 80’s songs played and he quietly hummed along
to them. Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” and Phil Collins “In the Air
Tonight”. My soundtrack is primarily 80’s and 90’s, although I have playlists
with all kinds of music and will change it depending on the passenger.
I dropped him off and he quietly said “thanks” and wished
me a good night.
It made me think. If I had had a kid who was his age
(figuring I would have been in my early 30’s), he might have been inclined to
think the same thing if he was being driven home and some 80’s song came on.
“My dad always listened to this stuff and he got me into
it…”
I don’t know what happened to his dad and didn’t ask.
I don’t know if my kid would have called me “pops” but I
used to call my dad that all the time.
Today would have been his 88th birthday.
Happy birthday Dad.
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