The Best Song of My Life

At this moment, this morning, I would have to say, unequivocally, that the best song of my life is “I want my MTV,” performed by Dire Straits.

The song came out when I was a fairly new divorcee, finding my way through single motherhood, a return to college, and the brand new world of dating. I was in the process of falling in love with a sweet, funny man from California. He was also divorced, with a daughter close to the age of my girls. Jerry had been on his own longer than I had, though. He’d been out in the world, doing all kinds of exciting, California-type things, while I’d been home cooking, sewing and other boring things. Or, so it seemed at the time.

When I first heard this song, we were putting a coat of wax on Jerry’s gold Mustang. We were talking about the vintage leather seats he had plans for, and other improvements he was going to make, when he held up his hand. “Listen to this,” he said, turning up the boom box, “This is the best jam I’ve heard in a long time!” We giggled together as we listened to the words.

Well, thirty years have passed by, along with thousands of other changes in my life and his. It’s been at least a dozen years since I’ve seen Jerry. We have each lived through the beginnings…and endings…of several other relationships since we went our separate ways. He is married now, I know, and is recovering from a stroke. My own life has seen its share of odd turns and heartbreak.

Still, when that song comes on the radio, I’m young again, on my own, with an exciting life ahead of me, newly in love. And Jerry is looking at me with adoration, and a twinkle in his eyes, playing air guitar to “I Want My MTV,” the best song of my whole life.