Show Tunes and Car Trips

It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized our family was different. We sang. Not only did we sing, but we sang Broadway.

I was eight years old and knew all the words to “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” from The Sound of Music. I knew that “Grant Avenue” was in San Francisco. I knew that Maria and Tony were in love, and would always be in love “Somewhere.”

I remember learning from dad that there must be something “the matter with kids today.” And that Hugo and Kim were pinned.

I learned that “Somewhere over the Rainbow” you could actually see the bluebirds that, to this day, I’ve only seen on greeting cards.

I knew that you could “Climb Every Mountain” and that whenever I felt afraid I could “whistle a happy tune” to calm the fears. Why do you think I learned to whistle when I was five? To keep the ghosts and spiders at bay!

I knew what all the “favorite things” were – even if I didn’t know what schnitzel was. And I knew how to sing the solfeggio system before I knew it was one. Do-re-mi!

I figured that men were always late to everything. After all they couldn’t even get to the “church on time!”

I could dream of an island called “Bali H’ai.” I could hope that the next time I was sick a “spoonful of sugar” might help the medicine go down. I didn’t know what “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was – but I knew how to sing it!

I knew that life could be a Cabaret and that it was good if you lived “In America.”

I knew all the words to Jesus Christ Superstar.

Yes, our car was alive with the sound of music. Who could ask for anything more?