Based on the title of this post, you might think that I'm going to dive deeply into an existential conversation about the nature of reality itself. Not so much. I just want to talk about infomercials. Specifically, Time-Life's collection of the greatest soft-rock hits of the 70's and 80's. Maybe you have seen this commercial, or one like it, on the television late at night, on some nondescript channel that doesn't actually broadcast shows. You may have even stopped your clicker on it and zoned out for way too long, until you realized that there was no real content. Picture the scene: two slightly washed-up, previously famous actors or musicians with spray tans, gushing about the greatest music in the entire galaxy, almost as if they were being paid to tell you. Well, I'm here to tell you that I actually adore these commercials, and that's a verb I usually reserve for internet cats and baby zoo animals.
I've been gathering my thoughts on this matter of great importance (it's the weekend, I have a lot of time on my hands,) and I'm trying to find a word that best describes my feelings. Perhaps it's 'nostalgia.' Certain songs do remind me of people and places long gone, and the music gives me a feeling of belonging. Many of the musicians can even be seen playing real instruments! Or maybe the word I'm looking for is 'hysterical.' Between the bell bottoms, feathered hair, bare chested button downed seventies heart throbs, and overly dramatic lyrics, there are certainly lots of laughs to be found. They are almost too good to be true. I bet the artists themselves even catch these videos from time to time and wonder who was in charge of hair and wardrobe.
But in the end, I settled on the word, 'happiness.' You see, I've tried yoga and meditation, aromatherapy, herbal teas, and even self-help books, and I'll tell you, they've got nothing on Time-Life's Soft Rock Hits of the 70's and 80's. Those grainy music video snippets, combined with the soothing therapy-couch tone of the hosts, are my security blanket of sorts, a hypnotic sojourn in a place without worries or trouble. I know I can't stay there forever, but for a one hour slot on my channel guide, I can take a break from the noise and distractions, and just feel kinda 'soft' for a while.
Comments