Unfinished Business

Among other things, my husband got me Amy Winehouse's Back to Black (alas, no Us Weekly, but this will do) for Christmas. That was December. It's now February. Have I listened to it? No. I was made more aware of this fact by my husband who told me he listened to it the other night, after I had gone to bed and proclaimed it very good. I've walked past it occasionally and looked at it longingly, thinking, 'I really should listen to this.' But haven't. Oh, and I didn't mention that it has 'explicit lyrics' which really limits my listening opportunities.

As much as I love music- and I do; it's a centerpiece of my life- something else is generally taking precedence. First, are the available times I have to listen a CD with 'explicit lyrics' (and I'm dying to know just how explicit they are...) I usually listen to music one of two times- in the car, driving around on errands, or up to Cleveland for work. Almost always, I am traveling with my Constant Companion and little ears do not need to hear explicit lyrics right now, especially when she has a true gift for memorizing and singing songs almost verbatim. Although she is developing a real penchant for Randy Newman-- so funny to hear those sardonic words emerge from such a little mouth. I must admit, the occasional Liz Phair slips into the playlist, but we try to keep it clean... for the most part. Likewise, listening to a CD for the first time when running around town is just not satisfying. It doesn't pay proper respect to the continuity and flow that makes up an artist's vision on an "album." The only other time I regularly listen to music is at dinner which we usually eat as a family. Also not the most opportune time to listen to the edgier stuff. It's Buckwheat Zydeco, Alison Krauss, Dixie Chicks, Moulin Rouge, Dwight Yoakam, Wilco and the like.

I have other priorities during the time I am generally alone in the house. First, there is always some kind of work "thing" to attend to. Emails to answer; client notes to address; consulting projects to complete. And then there is my TV habit. As much as I love music, TV is my siren song. Recording programs throughout the week guarantees that there is always a backlog of shows to watch. And whereas my husband has his alone time late at night, that is not my preferred hour. My time is early in the morning, most mornings waking by 6 or so to have an hour or two before the rest of the house springs into action. Call me crazy, but it just doesn't feel right to listen to explicit lyrics at 6 a.m.

Thing is, I hate unfinished business, loose ends. I have a hard time with loose ends. And, on a certain level, that CD I walk by, sitting there on the stereo, is unfinished business. Maybe I'll be able to listen to Amy Winehouse when I go on one of my twice yearly road trips with a friend... Or perhaps it will have to wait until my daughter is older (14? 15?) at which point I still won't be able to listen to it because then I will need to be a role model for her. sigh... I will mostly likely be listening to Amy when the album is considered a classic, if it ever achieves that status. And if it doesn't? I probably will have wasted a lot of angst on nothing. Story of my life.