Have you ever thought about what it would be like if, when you heard a song for the first time, you could see into the future? If you knew, in the blink of an eye what you would be doing and where you’d be the rest of your life when you heard it again? Wouldn’t that be the weirdest thing ever? “Semi Charmed Life” comes to mind. It always takes me straight back to the first week of June, 1997. We were at the beach, in a convertible, riding down the strip on the way to dinner. The air was warm with promises of what was to come, not only in the immediate future but for the rest of our just-being-shaped lives.

Yesterday, I went to the movies to watch Dirty Dancing on the big screen. Prior to the showing, the projector ran a series of facts about the film. Jennifer Grey was 27 when she was cast to play the 17 year old Baby! She had the part immediately after the audition. Patrick Swayze didn’t have dancing listed on his resume, and was nearly looked over. Val Kilmer was offered the part of Johnny Castle, but didn’t want to be branded as a “hunk”. I do not understand this reasoning, I am merely stating the facts.

The lights dimmed.

“That was the summer of 1963, when everybody called me Baby, and it didn’t occur to me to mind.” A cheer went up.

It was fun being in that theater full of 40+ year old women (and a select few men). We hollered and sang and swooned. I was transported to my seven-year-old self, sitting on my lilac purple with rainbow interior sleeping bag at Amanda McCarter’s house, watching it for the first time. It was my first ever slumber party. It was the time of my life.

I remembered a few years later, under the gently rotating disco ball, hearing the Academy Award song again. My skates beneath me, rolling smoothly on that polished hardwood floor, the sound of a hundred bowling balls making laps. Round and round and round.

When will I hear it again? Probably driving down the road, just catching it on the radio. What will be going on in my life? I doubt it will find me at a pivotal moment but one never knows. I hope to be having the time of my life.