A couple of days ago I came across a song that I had not heard in years. I may have heard bits and pieces of it in elevators or passing cars, but the fact is my radio is rarely tuned to a station that plays any Stevie Wonder. And thanks to a friend of mine, Nathan and the type of society that no longer bases itself on character of integrity, but rather by the song that one has set as a ringtone that truly judges a mans gusto. He has "I Just Called to say I Love You." by Stevie Wonder set to ring when his girlfriend Chelsea calls, and I have to admit, it is sweet, there is nothing quite as amazing as knowing that somewhere in the world there is someone who cares for you, sometimes just wants to say a gentle reminder of how special you are......To just call as say I love you.
I know I am idealistic, but that is the kind of shit that I think about. So to make a long story longer I downloaded the song. As the cheesy organ started in my mind flew back twenty one years to a kid in a denim jacket, denim jeans and, a haircut that only a parent could love, sitting on the kitchen table having what would be the last discussion that I would ever have with my mom as a free man.
It was September in 1985, and that day was my first day of school. I don't remember being scared, I do think that I was a little weirded out by all of it though. My mom and I had been big pals ever since I knew what was going on, had been going on. I watched her as she exercised to Richard Simmons, (because afterwards, I got the TV!) She cooked lunch, I watched, we would go watch for my sister at lunch, drink Dr Pepper, talk, and wait for dad to come home from work. I always remember trying to pronounce his middle name, all I could ever could get out was Walrus.
Mom had been there when Michael Jackson scared my shitless, Tina Turner got me grounded from TV, and even the time that I thought someone had broken into our house to do God knows what to me and my family, it turns out it was just my dad, he had shaved as beard and I freaked out. But though thick and thin she had been there, and know I had to go hang out with someone else all day, and the idea was not sitting to well with me.
My sister always seemed to enjoy school. So from what I had heard so was a alright place. I had no reason not to want and go, I just didn't want to. As I started to listen to that song again this video started playing in my head. It was my mom talking to me, telling me that this school thing was no big deal, I was just gonna go in and before I knew it she would be back. I can still the sun shining though the sliding glass window that lead to our back yard. As our talk finished we headed to the car and started to the school. In the car Stevie was back to finish his tune, and as we headed to school the smooth-ness of his voice and the caring nurture from mom, I knew that things would OK.
Now since that day I have heard the song at least 50 times. But I didn't listen to it until this week.
"No News Years Day to celebrate...............No first of spring, no song to sing.......In fact it's just another ordinary day."
Thoughout the song Stevie covers the entire year, chronologically from New Years to Christmas, reminding us each time at the chorus, that he just called to say something very simple and very true, he just called to say I love you. His gesture was so simple that it almost broke my heart, because the more I thought about it I was still that little boy sitting on the kitchen table listening to his mom tell him that everything would be OK. No matter how far you go or how much you grow up, we are still are parents kids, and thankfully to the magic of music, and that crappy organ music, we can still be transported back to a time that had been long forgotten, be always remembered.
I think as we travel though life, much like Stevie travels though the year in his song, we need special people like our moms to call and say I love you.
Out loud I suck, but I have found a certain peace in writing, I can get a lot out banging on a keyboard, more that I even thought I had inside me. But never enough to ever sum up these these words that I write now; Mom I just wrote to say I love you!
