Welcome to my meandering mind.
A little while ago a friend was kind enough to find and play "Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog for me.
I mentioned at the time that it was one of those songs that always cheers me up, no matter how awful I'm feeling. It's not a particularly well crafted song, but that's not what these sorts of things are about. At least, not only.
The song holds something innocent within it, some childhood connection that continues to withstand the passing of time.
Every time I hear it, I can clearly see the see-through green 45 single that the song played on. Also, I can just recall the record player - I think it was a white one, but I'm not sure. It was definitely portable.
As a child I used to sit in the hallway, at the end between the kitchen and the loungeroom. That way I could usually see both my Mum and my Dad. An added bonus was that I could close the doors to the kitchen and the lounge room if I decided to 'crank up the volume'. Which was pretty much all the time.
However, it's not just this detailed and pleasant memory. It's a mixture of many things; it's Kermie - in all his green glory, it's the memory of Jim Henson - a man I wished I'd met just so I could hug him, it's the mention of a rainbow - a more beautiful sight in the sky I've never seen, it's a memory of these things and others, made tangible by just one little song.
"I know I drive some people crazy with what seems like ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked for me."
- Jim Henson