My Birthday with Janis

So here we are … post 35 of 35. *exhale*

I wondered what I would share with you on my last post of this series. Would I have some great epiphany over the last 35 days? Hmmm, for now, I just keep going back to what I said to the first person I talked with on the phone this morning. My uncle Brian called (Facebook birthday wishes are awesome but phone calls rock!). In our conversation I said, “Thirty didn’t bother me but I kinda feel like I should be all grown up at thirty-five.”

Let me share with you a little about my uncle. He is important to me for many reasons. He has offered me sound advice, he listens to me when I talk and has just always been there for me. One reason I am indebted to him forever is because he introduced me to Janis … yes, Janis Joplin.

ahhhh … my absolute favorite song from her!

Here’s where I’m going with this …

Janis Joplin was not cool with the kids in my school when I was listening to her. What was this little Mexican girl doing listening to a gringa sing oldies rock-n-roll anyway? I didn’t care. I connected with her soulful voice and heart wrenching songs. For me, she resembled a unique identity through story telling that anyone can relate to. Nadie cantó como Janis when Janis was singing.

I have made new friends and bonded with great friends over Janis Joplin’s songs. I remember singing “Me and Bobby McGee” at the top of our lungs at parties with a dear college friend. Her Greatest Hits CD was playing full blast on my six-hour drive home from college – on repeat. Introducing others to Janis … yeah, that’s the best. A sweet friend of mine recently sent me a message because she was listening to Janis and she thought of me. She said she actually thinks of me every time she hears a song by Janis.

So today, a new friend shared that Me and Bobby McGee YouTube video. I sat in my home office, clicked play and turned up the volume on my laptop. And when it was over, I clicked play again. Memories came back, I sang the tune with all my heart … I realized that I am grown up. Because when I wasn’t a grown up, it was always the grown ups that would listen to the oldies over and over again saying things like “yeah, that was a good year!”

¡Salud to a ‘Good Year’! Rock on Janis!