why i love 80's music

i'm listening to 80's music on pandora.com right now and i wondered: why does 80's music make me so calm and happy? is it that this genre is really of a higher quality than contemporary music, or is it something else?

after spending some quality time in my head thinking this over, i came to the following conclusion: it's not the quality of the song itself, or even the lyrics.  rather, it's the memories that are evoked by listening to these familiar pieces.

these songs bring me back to my early childhood...the days when i couldn't see over the dashboard, couldn't read into the words, and was just learning what mom meant when she told me that my dad was tone-deaf.

these were the days of blissful ignorance and unawareness.

in my childhood mind, war only happened in foreign countries, to people not of my world.  presidents and politicians were trustworthy and wonderful people.  my parents knew everything, and would protect me from anything.  old dogs were sent to happy farms before a family got a new one, and santa claus was real.  a barbie doll was a hugely exciting prize, and my biggest worry was falling off my bike or scraping my knees.  nowhere in my mind was concern for divorce, cancer, or abandonment.

these songs were the soundtrack to my childhood.  i was naive and i was light-hearted.

while awareness brings troubled minds and heavy hearts, it also brings with it new avenues for joy and pleasure.  santa claus may not be real, but paychecks are and they're awesome.  my parents might not always be right but they certainly can make great friends.  a barbie doesn't quite hit the spot but that trip to napa valley sure does!  awareness brings complexity to our lives to both enhance and to hinder our enjoyment of the world.  while we may no longer perceive things through rose-colored glasses, we certainly can see the awesome things a whole lot better.

i'm happy for my adult awareness.  i am thankful for, but not missing, my childhood bliss.  it's nice to know i can always go back for a short visit when i listen to good ole 80's music.