Thursday, August 17, 2006

National (Public Radio) Exposure

O.k. So Melissa Block said my last name wrong during All Things Considered tonight.

And was the quote about something meaningful like low-income women's needs for adequate job skill training to be economically self-sufficient? Or the importance of world peace?

No - it was a "letter" to NPR about how I listened to English Beat at work.

On Tuesday, Robert Krulwich reported on how people lose their sense of adventure, or willingness to try new things, as we get older. Get older as in past age 35. I'm 37. Krulwich's piece mentioned that part of the reason we stick with what we liked as 19 and 20 year olds (or in my case 14 years old) is that it brings back pleasant memories of being young and adventurous.

For me, while writing a project workplan I was having flashbacks of drama club dances in a church. A good memory. Really.

And there I had been, the morning before the story ran, listening to English Beat on my iPod (at least it was an iPod and not mixed-cassette tape on a Walkman) writing a project workplan. One of my colleagues came in, one who is 7 years younger than me, to ask something. Of course he inquired, "What are you listening to?"

"English Beat"

"Oh" with that tone that it might as well have been Jack Benny.

3 comments:

Flower Child said...

Posting a bit late - but just had to say I have English Beat on my iPod too. :)

Unknown said...

i get that tone at work allll the time. From both the youngins' and the old folks. They don't know what they are missing! Long live Dave Wakeling!

AB said...

Haha! See - the more I read the more confirmation I get that we are soul sisters. Your posts contain the names Terri Gross and Melissa Block as well as Erasure.

I remember listening to that story about getting older too. While I do listen to new music and like many of todays artists, none of the music stirs me the way Erasure, U2, and other 80's music does. Even the new stuff by my 80's favs.

But I don't buy it. I am NOT OLD. I am 35! 80's are NOT oldies!