Tonight we had one of those random, wonderful moments that you try to hold on to because, despite how silly you know it was, it was great and you know it will never happen again. It’s the kind of thing that can only happen when your children are at a certain age. They’re young enough to not be embarrassed by their parents, uninhibited enough to try new things without being self-conscious, and old enough to be able to sing along with Journey while playing air guitar.

The Lovely and Talented Wife switched the radio when it started spewing ads at us and found Journey just as they began the melancholy piano chords of Faithfully—and I dare say it moved her and she began to sing. And I sang with her. And as we pulled into the garage, The Girl asked to leave the radio on when I turned off the car. The volume went up as the automatic garage door came down. And we basked in the sultry red glow of the car’s brake lights as the music swelled.

The Lovely and Talented Wife and the Girl sang. I rocked the air guitar from the driver’s seat. The Boy hummed and let the music wash over him. It was a thing of beauty. A few minutes of pure, Journey-induced, family zen. And as the four of us sang the last verse together, I’m certain passers-by would have heard the faint, glorious “Oh, oh, oh, ooooh!” on the breeze, defiantly penetrating our rolled up car windows and double-panel insulated steel garage doors.

Rock, my friends, cannot be contained by insulated garage doors.

sigh Reading this again will warm our hearts one day.

Comments

1. tracey on 2006-10-07 20:52:21 wrote: I would have SO been singing with you all! I can just picture it. What a moment!

2. Lelia Katherine Thomas on 2006-10-07 22:32:35 wrote: That’s a great moment! Who can’t sing along to Journey? XD

3. Cory Verner on 2006-10-08 00:11:14 wrote: Classic. I’ve had moments like that. You’ve just inspired me to put the family air-band back together!

4. Hemlock on 2006-10-08 12:47:58 wrote: “Rock, my friends, cannot be contained by insulated garage doors." I couldn’t agree more! What a fantastic memory! My dad? Plays a mean steering wheel drum…

5. pixels.in.my.head on 2006-10-08 21:24:33 wrote: the wife and I also sing to that song. How cool! And if we hear it in the car, whatever is hanging from the rear-view mirror becomes a crashing cymbal to my air-drumming, too! :-)

6. disneymike on 2006-10-09 08:52:13 wrote: Thank you for sharing this wonderful snippet of your life. It’s great that you’re savoring the really important things in life. Family and moments like that are priceless.

7. Sue, Toronto on 2006-10-09 15:24:30 wrote: You warmed my heart today. Our kids are older now, past the “singing Journey in the car” stage, but your story surely brought back some great memories. Sue

8. b. on 2006-10-13 14:30:08 wrote: That song, I believe, brings nations together! It is our family’s favorite (h)air-band song as well. My husband sings it nearly every day in the shower….I think this is because it the only song he knows all the words too……is that wrong?

9. pete on 2006-10-14 14:42:52 wrote: that’s awesome. and i love that song too. :D btw did you know journey is touring? and with def leppard of all bands. love both bands but it seems like an odd pairing.

10. Pello on 2006-10-17 22:17:55 wrote: Hi! I just love this story….

11. Ross on 2006-10-25 09:45:33 wrote: Nice post, had to listen to the song after reading of course.