by Lory Benson, U.S. Army Overseas, APO - AE

Growing up, I shared a room with my three sisters. I desperately needed space so I went out and bought a used record player and some headphones with tooth fairy money. Albums since then were all I wanted. On my 8th birthday my parents were out of town and I was left with a dime money-tree card and in precious care of my older brothers and sisters. I was bummed that my parents weren’t there for my birthday, but the money quickly erased those sad feelings because it was enough for a new album.

Right before I headed out to walk the train tracks down to the record store, my oldest sister “bully” ordered me to buy the new way groovy Shaun Cassidy album, or I would suffer greatly. This meant anything from being dangled out of third floor window by my feet, put in the dryer, buried in dirt, kissed by the neighbor Jimmy Boogernose, you know typical childhood stuff.

O.K., now as much as my sister beat me up, I really did idolized her. So off I went, down to the record store to purchase that dreadful album. When I walked into the store there it was “Under Wraps” surrounded by a bunch of 10 year olds. Now right next to it was the album “Darkness on the Edge of Town” by Mr. Springsteen. I think I studied the album for an hour. I mean this guy looked like he just rolled out of bed four hours too early and someone says “Hey Bruce” and off goes the flash. I knew instantly I would like him. I also knew my sister would be true to her words and I kept hearing “suffer, suffer”, so I walked back over to the Shaun Cassidy thinking “how bad could it be, right?”.

When I got home my sister and three of her friends were waiting for me. “Where’s the record, stupid?” she said as the three friends chimed in “yeah stupid.” “Go put it on,” she demanded. I told them certain conditions of mine needed to be met if they wanted to hear their dreamboat’s new record. My demands included licking the cat, kissing the dog, smelling my socks, etc. Demands were met, and now it was time to play the record.

They bounced from bed to bed “Oh, Shaun, oh Shaun!” I walked over and turned my record player up as loud as it could go so they could clearly hear “Lights out tonite, trouble in the heartland, got a head on collision, smashing in my guts man”. My sister and her friends jumped me and locked me in the closet. I actually was content though, for the next 4 hours I heard the first side play over and over again. It knocked my grummy little mismatched socks right off. What a great 8th birthday and a nice long fanship with Bruce Springsteen and music that matters.

Lory Benson WXPN Member Supporter of the Internet Radio Equality Act Listening overseas working for the U.S. Army. Thanks for making me feel so close so far away.