Laughing Through Tears

I'm taking a moment here to remember when I had to say good-bye to a very dear old friend a few months ago...and then to laugh at myself just a little. 

Oprah used to call it "The Ugly Cry". The one where your eyes, nose...really your whole face...turn beet red. That's why I'm posting this picture in black and white instead of color. I really don't want you to see my red eyes and red nose in color. Wild Bill was kind enough to take these three pictures while I paused to commemorate a passing a few months ago.

Here's my old friend...a 1993 version of the World's Biggest, Oldest (and Continuously-Used) Combination Radio, 10-CD and Cassette Tape Player Boom Box. "He" was a big expenditure back then for a single mom, and my youngest daughter (a savvy 13 year old then) had to talk me into venturing into the new world of CD's as I clung to my cassette tapes! I sure got my money's worth with this one...

Man, I miss that big guy!  "He" shared my love for T. Graham Brown's Bumper-To-Bumper CD ("we" had three copies of it, just in case one wore out) and he (unlike some of the other family members) never objected to playing it over and over for me. 

Through the years, all the greats hung out with us...T-Graham, Roy Orbison, Billy Ray, Willy...they all sounded better on this old guy. 

Trying to entice me away from my beloved boom box, Wild Bill bought me two or three new ones over the last 20 years that we've been married, along with a few I-Pods and such. But I just couldn't give my first love up. Those other CD players? They were too flashy with strobe lights that kept me awake - or they held too few CD's - so up in the closet they went.

I continued to stick with my good friend. That is, until a few months ago, when my CD's started warbling when this old guy was playing them. I knew it was time, but still I left him on the kitchen counter for two days, occasionally trying yet another time to see if the warbling problem had cleared up. Finally, Wild Bill joined me in a brief and tearful (on my part, not Bill's...he was doing the happy dance in his mind I'm sure) little ceremony as I said a final farewell.

Wild Bill snapped these three pictures during my tearful good-bye, then we quickly left before the garbage truck came to do the pickup. I just couldn't watch. Those other CD players are still up in the closet waiting. I'm in mourning after all. 

I hope this post convinces you to let go of a few old things that might be clogging up your life too. Just bite the bullet and do it. 

Thanks for dropping by!