Madonna Memories

I have ideas for new blog posts, however, I haven’t had the time to compose them. I want to write one on music and the sound track to my life. Here’s a post (written November 22, 2005, when I was living and working in the States) I’m recycling (from a previous blog) on music, memories, and connections:

My older sister was in the States for three weeks on business. She and I got to hang out a few times but her schedule was tight and hectic. She spent her first and last weekend in the country with me.

Since her wedding in 2000 this was the first time we were hanging out by ourselves. It was, in some ways like being children again, but without having to ask the parental unit for permission to do things! It’s really wonderful to have siblings. We reminisced about the way we fought and the things the three of us did as children. We have a shared history; my sisters and I are the only ones that can truly understand our parents and why we turned out the way we did. (I personally think the three of us turned out great, but I guess that doesn’t count.)

You know the word association tests? Well, I think if we had word-memory responses the three of us would come up with similar, if not the same, answers.

So Anvita and I were in the car and she was trying to find a radio station she liked. She stopped on 102.7 because Madonna’s “Borderline” was playing. She increased the volume and we both began shouting out the lyrics in unison. As the song was playing, and we were singing, I had flashbacks to my sisters and me as children.

Anvita, Mitika, and I would get up really early on weekends (only as young children, once we hit our teenage years it was very difficult to wake us up before noon!) as my parents slept in. We’d brush our teeth, creep downstairs, and grab a few lollipops on the way. Once we were downstairs we’d turn on the TV or the radio and jump up and down on the sofas, lollipops in our mouths. We loved Madonna as children (I still do) and we listened to her songs all the time.

Anvita put in the tape (it might have been an LP, I don’t remember clearly). “Borderline” came on and the three of us continued to jump up and down on the sofas hair flying, trying to see who could jump the highest. We sang in unison, laughed when we forgot the lyrics, but still listened for our parents walking down the stairs.

It’s not always easy being a child, and it is most definitely difficult being a daughter and a sister on many occasions. But as “Borderline” played in the car in 2005, and took me back to 1983, something really hit me. It may have been the fact that we’re old now. Adults. Responsible. We are no longer three little people living in a house with two big people. We have our own lives, and Anvita has her own family now…

“Hey, Shruti,” Anvita said mid-thought, “When I hear this song I always think of….”

But we have common memories.