Skip to main content

Chance the Rapper, 3 Teens, & the Turnpike

My wife & I had the h😳n😫r of taking my oldest and two friends to a week long summer camp in Pennsylvania. We were driving the Turnpike from the Boogie Down, New York after dropping my youngest to his grandmother's for a week. It felt like I had been driving all day; we drove from Maryland to Pennsylvania to pick up our youngest from camp. From there we drove 
The Turnpike to New York to drop him off, saw family, got a pie (pizza) and then headed back on the Turnpike with its escalating tolls to Pennsylvania. I was pathetically busted after all the driving. The sun has gone down and we had to head back to PA. Did I say I was busted? Well, these three energetic boys ensured that I wouldn't go to sleep. 

I'm flipping through stations trying to find some decent music that all of us could listen to. A song here and a song there popped up, but nothing consistent. Then my oldest says, "Dad, can I put on my music?" WARNING! DANGER! DANGER! WARNING! Loud, blaring music with pointless content being prepared for sound distribution. Granted, he doesn't listen to a whole lot of trash music, but...

So I plug his phone up, which seems to have about 4,276 songs on it. And Chance the Rapper comes on. Yes, that name is correct. I have yet to figure out WHAT he talks about in his music, although at times it's hilarious.  And the boys start groovin (wait, groovin is too mild- let's try unrestrained motion dancing 😕) in the back seat. My car was shaking back and forth as their bobbing not just their heads, but bodies, completely jacking up my average mpg's. And the boys begin to sing and rap with the music.  They sounded like some old drunkards who had too much (not alcohol) Kool-Aid singing lyrics to his music. This lasted for about an hour. An HOUR! My wife told me she got a headache. I began anticipating a moment of silence just to hear that little ring in the back of your head when it goes from excruciating noise to nothing. That ring never came. They were having a blast while I was helpless and in a way, hopeless. 

Who am I kidding? I think a lot of the music my boys listen to is crazy just like my parents thought mine (and yours) was senseless. It probably was the same case with their parents. I can remember conversations from my dad about how he thought rap music was some trash when it was just starting to become popular (did I age myself right there?). I just need to know what they listen to, try to keep in step with it, and keep it moving. 

I'm listening to their music with NOS...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Before you go, I have to tell you this...

My wife and oldest son had been feverishly preparing for this for over two years. A sojourn to Egypt is what monopolized the attention of this house for about the past week. We've been packing, buying last minute items, and anticipating an almost 24-hour travel. As my wife was packing at the gorgeous time of 4:15 am, I was writing some thoughts to my son. I was giving him advice-technical, moral, physical, and spiritual advice. Even while cutting his hair last night, I was advising him. At the end of the letter, I gave him my blessing. I wrote a letter to Paula as well. And just like the one to my son, I gave her the same type of advice, just more seasoned for her needs. And at the end of the letter, I gave her my blessing. I packed the letters away in their suitcases. They won't see them until they reach their hotel in Egypt. I learned and was reminded of a couple of things from their upcoming experience. First, perseverance has its rewards. They stuck this program out fo...
7 comments
Read more

It's What's Best For You

I had to have a serious talk with my boys tonight.  I had been noticing some facets of their character that I did not think was necessarily wrong, but it was not what I think was the best.  So just before they went to bed, we had a Five Minute Blitz (our version of a devotional). As many of you know, I am really working hard to build our famliy on the standards of the Bible.  Well, the backdrop for this conversation stemmed from an abbreviated Deuteronomy 10:12-13: "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God...to love Him...and to observe the Lord's commands that I am giving you today for your own good?" I have been noticing that they were not giving their full potential in their everyday lives.  Yes, they are boys...young boys at that.  Yet, I know what they are capable of.  I now understand why my dad pushed me so hard.  He encouraged me (made me) to do chores, to wake up early (6am.....
4 comments
Read more

But I Need My Car!

It turned out to be a day of running around the city.  I took care of my minivan; the 'check engine' light was on for the last two days.  So, I dropped the kids off at school, drove to 7-11 to get my coffee and donut, and went to the auto repair shop.  The repair man checks the car and begins giving me an oil change.  He comes back in with the bolt that seals the oil pan and says its damaged.  "You need to get it replaced."  he said. "Okay", I responded as I am sipping my coffee. About three minutes later, he returns and says, "We have to replace the entire oil pan because it is damaged.  I cannot let you drive off with it in this condition.  What are you gonna do?" I'm thinking to myself, "What do you mean, 'What am I gonna do?  I have no car!'"  I begin calling my wife only to remember that she was in an all day conference-I could only text her.  Meanwhile, the repairmen comes back in the room and says to me in his...
4 comments
Read more