“Something to Miss” is a song of mine that includes quite a few personal references, and I’d like to share some of them with you!
“There’s always something to miss…”
Everyone has their own list of people, times, and places they miss, and this song is part of my list.
“Like a three-week trip to the East Coast, Niagara Falls and ferry boats…”
When I was little, my family went on a big road-trip that lasted three weeks. We started from our house in Illinois, we saw Niagara Falls, we rode on a ferry boat, we saw the numbingly cold Atlantic Ocean, we went to a Red Sox game, we hiked, we listened to “The Lord of the Rings“ on cassette tapes, we went to one of my family’s favorite places in Minnesota, we went fishing, we packed picnics… What I remember most is simply being with my family for three weeks, and loving it.
“I heard the news through the grapevine yesterday, the brightest smile that I’ve ever seen was lost and gone away…”
One of my classmates at Taylor University passed away. We weren’t close friends, but he was the kind of person who could make you feel like you were. He treated everyone like a friend. He had a fantastic laugh, and he did have one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen… The kind of smile that lights up a whole room.
“An open door to local strays…”
Growing up, one of my best friends lived next door. Many of my favorite childhood memories include her. Her parents had a beautiful backyard, perfect for all of the make-believe games we loved. Her mom loved her flowers and the wildlife that lived back there: chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons… And of course, the neighborhood kids that so often showed up.
“I close my eyes and just pretend I know your face…”
I never had the chance to meet two of my grandparents… I’ve always wished I could have known them.
“Take him with wherever I go, Country Roads and Aspenglow…”
John Denver has always been one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and I miss him. The wonderful thing about music is that you can take it with you. It gets stuck in your head, you put it on your iPod, or you pull out that old album… You can keep the music you love alive.
“Camping out in the back, we’re Slapjack kings…”
Years ago, two of my cousins and I pitched a tent in their backyard, and we stayed up almost all night. We told jokes and scary stories; we tried to prank each other; and we played Slapjack for hours and hours.
“Down a block through the cornfields, just to watch a church-bell ring…”
This also has to do with my cousins and a tradition I’m not certain I’m even allowed to talk about… Cousin pacts, and all.
“It’s Christmas Eve, we need a tree…”
One Christmas Eve, we didn’t have a tree, and it didn’t look like we were going to get one. So a couple of my brothers and sisters and I took matters into our own hands. It was last minute; but we got a tree, brought it home, pulled out all the decorations, and we surprised my parents with a Christmas tree.
“A Dreamer day at the racetrack, just my dad and me…”
My dad took me to the Arlington Racetrack one time. I loved everything about it, but the thing we both remember best about the day is the chocolate ice cream. It was a hot day, and between every couple of races we got a couple cups of the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had. I’m not sure if it was the best ice cream because it was the best ice cream or if it was the best ice cream because it was at the racetrack with my dad… Probably the latter. That was a fun day.
“Like a baseball game beneath the lights, Pony League and fireflies…”
I went to a lot of baseball games growing up. I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch most of them. When my brothers played in high school, I started watching the games and being a better fan; but when they were in little league, I was usually running around with the other younger siblings of baseball players. The best games were always the night games under the lights. All of us little kids were running around later than we were usually allowed, and it happened to be the perfect time for catching lightning bugs.
I hope you enjoyed these glimpses behind-the-scenes!
What song should I do next? Is there a song of mine that you would like to know more about?
-Brittany
