Truthful Tuesday: My Musical Expose

I remember when Brittany Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” became the hit song on most popular radio stations. It was everywhere. On the radio, on music video stations, on the lips of countless Britney Spears fans. 

It was during the beginning of my early college days (I think).  I remember hearing a little girl about 4 years old singing it. I’m not exactly sure of her age, but she was a preschooler. I don’t really remember any details about when I heard her sing it or where. I just remember my reaction. Moral indignation. Self-righteous ignorance. I was so offended that an adult would allow a small child to let sexual references be sung from her lips. I didn’t care that the little girl had no idea what she was singing. I didn’t care that other adults thought it was just cute and funny. I thought it was horrible. And I judged. Oh did I judge.

Over the past 3 years of being a parent, I have learned that all my “I’m never going to do that when I’m a parent” statements have deteriorated with the actual experience of being a parent. Bribing my kid with candy, letting him jump on furniture, travelling on a plane with a toddler, I’ve done it. I have learned that the trenches of parenthood are long and hard, and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. By survive I meant get a full night of sleep and try not to “lose it” at all, or in my case more than once or twice a day. When you are in the trenches and you’ve given all you can give and you still have 6 hours left before bedtime, you become a different person. You become the antithesis of the parent you determined you’d be well before the idea of a child entered your home. And if you don’t or you haven’t, congrats to you and please don’t tell me about it. Your personal achievement in this area will not make me feel better.

That being said, when it comes to music, I have been eating a HUGE piece of humble pie. It’s Truthful Tuesday and my confession goes something like this: My 3 year old’s favorite song right now is Bruno Mars’ Locked Out of Heaven. He discovered it on my Iphone when I’d let him play on it during his quiet time. He flipped through my albums enough times to know the handful of songs that he likes. He goes straight to them over and over again. When I first realized he liked Locked Out of Heaven, I didn’t think too much of it. Especially because he doesn’t know what the song means. Then my husband questioned it. I defended it, blowing off his “should he be listening to that?” question.  But it stayed with me. I knew deep down inside that 19 year old girl who was morally indignant would be giving me the stink eye. I’ve been wrestling with her ever since.

Joel still loves the song. And when we’re in the car and it’s his turn to select the music (yes I let him have a turn to pick music)… he will pick Locked Out of Heaven. Every single time. Sometimes it’s on a repeat 3 times in a row. And every time Bruno sings “your sex makes me feel like”… I try to think about what word I can pretend Bruno Mars singing so I can make Joel sing a different version. I haven’t found one yet. Lucky for me, Joel doesn’t like to sing out loud [yet] in front of anyone but me. And he only sings in front of me when he thinks I’m not paying attention. And I haven’t heard him sing this song.

That buys me some time. Time from having to publically eat humble pie. But, then again, it’s Truthful Tuesday. And I believe I just pulled back the curtain and told on myself.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

For in the same way you judge others,

you will be judged, and with the measure

you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:1-2