Music Soothes The Savage Beast Part I: Kodachrome

Recently, I've been assigned to the Northern New Jersey Zone by my job and not exactly by my choice and part of this job requires driving out on Route 78 in beautiful NJ (The Greatest State in the Union).

Problem is, I don't have a car and I'm not buying one just to drive out on Route 78 twice a month (at least not without a massive raise - and if you're reading, and you know who you are - ahem).

In lieu of buying a car, I rent a car. I use Enterprise Rent-A-Car usually, because they're here in Jersey City and they'll pick you up.

This morning, I was headed to a meeting to out on 78 at 9 AM sharp and so I rented an economy car from Enterprise. When I called at 7am for my 7:50 pickup they instructed me to just call when I was ready. I called at 7:40 and they assured me they were on their way.

Now, mind you, E.R.A.C. is like maybe seven minutes away from me. Let's go to the video tape:

Now, I really hate being late to meetings and things that there is a definite start time you really should be there for (general work days don't count, however for those 9:15 is a good day) - and so when 8:05 rolled around I called and was like, "hey, I just want to make sure you're coming". The "yeah" was all I needed. Then, at like 8:10 - the "he'll be there in a second" placated me.

But, by 8:15 I was annoyed and the "well, there's a lot of traffic" set me off. "NOT BETWEEN COMMUNIPAW AND HIGHLAND!", I corrected. (Oh, my meeting was at 9 and I takes like 40 minutes to get there.) So when the car pulled outside, I was upset.

I stormed out, opened the door and without saying a word, I sat down. He either knew prior to meeting opening the door that I was pissed or the palpable tension clued him off but the kid that showed up was like, maybe a 21 year old black kid with baby braids in his hair and he had on like hot 97 or whatever on and we're driving back and I'm just stewing . There's silence and we're just sitting there with hot 97 on and I can tell he's a good kid and all but I'm just fucking pissed off that I'm going to be late. So, about half way there in the midst of this tension, the kid changes it from 97 to 101.1 - CBS FM, the 'Golden Oldie's Station' for what must have been an attempt to accomodate me.

I'm sitting there like, "Motherfucker - you are late and now you're treating me like an old white guy - fuck you". (You really have to know how my irrational anger can crescendo to really appreciate the situation here.)

The thing - the fucking thing - is it worked. It totally worked. (Damn, maybe I am an old white guy.)

While I was sitting there a song came on that I thought maybe I had heard before but didn't quite recognize. It had a catchy first line that was followed by, like, a hbouncy and fun bass.

Trying to catch the lyrics distracted me from my anger and, by the time I got there I had calmed down. I was still pissed, mind you, but I didn't want to flip out.

I got the keys and the car and pulled out the lot in JC at 9:27 and calmly did 95 miles an hour in a Kia Spectra and got to work at 9:03, just a few moments late to my meeting.

The song has been in my head all day and I didn't really hear the lyrics. All I could rememeber was think back/girls in high school/imagination.

So, since I got home (I walked home from Enterprise) I've been trying to find this song and I just did.

It turns out the song is off of the 1973 album "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" by Paul Simon and the song's name is "Kodachrome" and it's a great little happy song and I hope you enjoy it.



(This made me think of another instance in which a song made me take a much needed chill pill and that story will be saved for Part II of this thought.)