Rock On

I sat at a stoplight yesterday.

Across the intersection from me, stopped in facing traffic, a driver caught my eye.  She was probably in her late seventies, maybe even her eighties, and she drove a Lincoln Towncar.  Her hair was perfectly coiffed in a jet-black ‘do.

Evidently there was some fine music blaring in her car, because she drummed vigorously on her steering wheel.   And she sang.  And she bounced her head in time to the music.

Maybe it was some big-band tunes that she danced to decades ago, and the memories carried her away.

Or maybe Gwen Stefani has an over-sixty contingency.

Whatever it was, it lit her up.  And it made me smile.  Good for you, I thought, reaching over to turn up the volume of my cheesy 80’s tunes to shameless levels.  Rockin’ on with you, sister.

Posted in: Fun

67 thoughts on “Rock On”

  1. Lisa says:

    I need to remember this and not worry so much about what others are thinking.
    And I do enjoy a good 80’s tune. 🙂

  2. Renna says:

    That is so cool!!! I’m a knitter, and my son knowing this, called to tell me something he saw on the way to work recently. He was stopped at a light and the lady driving the car beside him was knitting. No big deal, he thought, until the light turned green and she drove off while still knitting! ;-Þ

  3. Amanda - VintageDutchGirl says:

    We have a little old lady in our church, and for the longest time I couldn’t remember her name. My friend then said, “just picture her singing ‘Hollaback Girl’ and you’re golden”.
    Yep, her name is Gwen, and I have NEVER forgotten her name since 🙂

  4. Stretch Mark Mama says:

    I was having such a nice time at the grocery last night, bellowing out “You’re the Inspiration” until I looked around and realized, I Have Made A Spectacle Of Myself. I’d sing in the van, but the kids have Such Demands. I’d drive around by myself just for the joy of croonin’ a tune, but hey, gas is $4.17 a gallon.
    “You bring meaning to my life…”

  6. Beth_C says:

    I enjoy rocking out to cheesy 80’s music too. Rock on, Granny! (And of course, I wsa referring to the lady in the Towncar. Not you!)

  7. Jo-Lynne says:

    LOL! Sometimes I catch myself “rockin’ on” in the car and I look around to see if anyone is noticing. I guess I shouldn’t care, huh?

  11. Elizabeth says:

    HA! Just yesterday I was using two pointy fingers on my steering wheel during a Jack Johnson song with a great high-hat rhythm… My 11 year old laughed and asked what I was doing, so I kicked the CD back one track and explained to him what that was and that yes, Mom did play the drums way back in high school. It did not, however, significantly increase any amount of cool factor that I may or may not exude on any given day…

  13. pam says:

    I will embrace the well earned grey hairs but I hope I’m still movin to the music like I do now. My music is from the 60’s and 70’s—my daughters can get so embarrassed, especially when I start dancing in the fitting rooms in stores–

  15. Annabelle says:

    I was leaving church the other day and one of the men in our church had dropped his daughter off and was leaving the church parking lot on his motorcycle. He was all the way down the drive and I could hear his music blaring…yep, Praise and Worship music blaring! It made me smile!

  17. Beth Nixon says:

    Good! Now I won’t feel so silly when I’m bopping to my music. I’ll just think I’m making some young chick smile at my enjoyment!

  19. Beth/Mom2TwoVikings says:

    The McDonalds drive thru people got an earful the other day as Flicka and Pojke from the second row of the van belted out Casting Crowns “Father, Spirit, Jesus” while ordering and “Spirit In Me” while picking up! LOL

  20. Leigh says:

    This reminds me of my step-grandpa! He’s 85 and tools around in his big Cadillac with his big band tunes just jamming and be-bopping along. Cracks me up!
    I fully intend to be that lady one day!

  24. Marissa says:

    That is awesome. Reminds me of the time I was rocking out with my kids on the way to church, and a car passed us on the interstate, and it was one of my husband’s co-workers and his family. Oh, yeah, they saw me. I hope they got a kick out of it, but I was so embarrassed!
    I’m a first-time commenter, LOVE your blog!!

  25. Dani says:

    What a sight that must have been! 🙂
    My kids and I sing TOGETHER in the car. Loudly. We must look like a bunch of loons to other people. Oh well!

  27. Ronnica says:

    I often turn up my music (KJ-52, Maroon 5, Barenaked Ladies, the Bratz soundtrack, and ashamedly, N’Sync are all on regular rotation) really loud and semi-dance to it. Actually, the driver’s seat is the only place I WILL dance. I occasionally get a weird look, but whatev.

  30. Cheryl says:

    Don’t those glimpses of elder-folk loving life just warm your heart?! Thanks for sharing that one…I’ll try to seek those drivers out and focus on them rather than those who are cell-attached and running redlights! 😉
    Have a great weekend, Shannon!

  31. Minnesotamom says:

    On our way home from out of town on Sunday night, our 9-mo-old daughter was ready to be home about an hour before we got there, and since Husband was driving, it was up to me to entertain her. So, I turned on the oldies station and sang loudly and danced wildly (I admit, sometimes more for my own amusement than hers), and you know what? It was FUN!!!!
    It’s good to cut loose sometimes. Who cares what the other driver’s think, right? Good for that lady.

  32. Quasimodo says:

    Eh, I can’t stand 80’s music, but my kids love it. If I were rockin’ out, it would likely be to some heavy metal tunes, but that’s not often at all, LOL.
    OH hey…Sky (my 9yo) and I were at Walmart yesterday and heard a guy in a truck belting out the words to a Spanish tune he was blaring in his truck. Now THAT was interesting. LOL

  36. Anonymous says:

    HA! LOVE IT! So glad I’m not the only 80’s music fiend too…. (((((HUGS))))) sandi

  37. Amber says:

    I look forward to the day when I can choose the music instead of my 2 year old son. He favors Leona Lewis and Jordin Sparks right now. He asks for “kee kee” (Keep bleeding love) and “Tatooooo” (Tatoo).

  42. Domestic Spaz says:

    LOL! That’s awesome. I’m usually too self-conscious at lights to rock out when I want to. However, I do find it quite funny to do it when the kids and The Man are in the car. It embarrasses them so much it’s quite worth my own personal embarrassment. 🙂

  43. Deanna says:

    When I am in the car I am a rock star! Other people may think I am completely crazy, but I don’t care. Singing is a great stress release. Besides, for all they know I am on one of those bluetooth things! These days everybody looks like they are talking to themselves!

  44. AuntieB says:

    I took my youth group (average age of 15) to the WinterJam concert back in March.
    While Skillet was up, I proved to them that I could still head-bang. Hey, I’m only 30. I grew up in the 80’s with all the “hair bands”.
    They had no idea that was in me. I think C & I embarrassed them beyond measure.
    That’s a good thing! =)

  45. Melissa says:

    This just proves my theory: The day I get too old to sing along with the radio is the day I hang up my “I’m Alive!” sticker. 🙂

  47. Gretchen says:

    Just 40 years ago this country was at the height of hippie-dom. That lady next to you rockin’ out in her car could easily have been a former “hippie” or rocker who loves (what we now call) “classic rock” just like you love your 80’s disco! She wasn’t necessarily listening to big band!

  48. edith says:

    Loving this word picture – and all the comments. My boys just roll their eyes at me when I bop to my music. Love it.

  49. Lisa T. says:

    That will definately be me in 40 years. I already do alot of it in public, and embarrass my kids. Not on purpose, of course 😉
    I’ll have my CD of 80’s big hair bands in the visor.

  54. citystreams says:

    Love it! I totally plan to be like that when other people think I’m old. It’s all about heart age. But I will never have a perfectly coiffed do. Unless it’s a wig. My hair is as rebellious as my heart is young.

  55. NerdMom says:

    We love to rock in the car. My kids will sing some of the time put since I have a minivan I can just rock in the front and turn it down in the back for them.

  58. KD (A Bit Squirrelly) says:

    That is so awesome! I sing in the car all the time and sometimes I think that I must look crazy, then someone in the car over will smile at me and my kids rockin’ out and I know that we are rock stars so it is all good!

  59. Soliloquy says:

    I drove myself home from Florida last weekend and owe my sanity to my iPod – ‘cuz I was kickin’ it all the way up 75!
    I was passin’ folks, liftin’ my hands in praise and havin’ a grand old time with my tunes and my Jesus!

  60. Pam says:

    I don’t like to think of myself as a “little old lady”…however I am only 4’11” tall and I will be 60 in Oct. I always “rock out” in the car…..sometimes to country western….sometimes contemporary Christian…Pam, South Bend

  61. Amy H says:

    I just have to tell you that I laughed out loud imagining the lady listening to Gwen Stefani! And then I got the giggles. So bad that I couldn’t even tell my husband what I was giggling about. I had to go to bed.

  62. sus says:

    Love this! My daughter, who is 2, dances a lot in public. I always hope it has this effect on people. And I hope when she’s an old lady, she’ll be singing at the top of her lungs at a stop light.

  63. Mary says:

    Please, ladies, remember even though some of our bodies are in our 70s, our spirits are still 20. Our music may differ but we all need to enjoy music, birds, flowers, sunshine, our loved ones, but mostly the Creator who joyfully gave us all of it to fill our hearts.

  64. From Dawn Till Rusk says:

    My husband recently got me a blinged-up car with blacked-out windows in the rear. So when the children and I are singing at the tops of our voices to The Bare Necessities or Red Hot Chilli Peppers (my 5-year-old’s favourite!) in the car and I’m thinking it’s OK people will think I’m just a good mum, rockin’ it with my kids, but actually they can’t see the kids, just me looking like I’ve just lost a marble or two.

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