Charlie and I have a lot in common. We both love to bike ride. We love to swim and play tennis and camp and hike and kayak. We love to play Uno with our children. We love to take walks on the beach and dance by candlelight. We love good food and good wine and we love music ... but as I was reminded tonight, our tastes in music aren't always "simpatico".
I'm currently wrapping up a big project that has required me to work a lot at night, after a full day in the office. When I sat down tonight to dive in, my reserves were running low, so I pulled up some music on my computer to help keep me engaged.
When my Barry Manilow soundtrack came on, I perked right up. So I start singing out loud as I'm prone to do. Especially when it comes to Barry Manilow because he's the first musician that I remember in my life ... with one of his songs inspiring my five-year-old puppet creation. Charlie, who had been working next to me, rolled his eyes - closed his laptop and stood up. "Where are you going?" I asked. Because my Love Language is Quality Time and since I'm a minimalist, that only requires that we're within five feet of each other.
"Are you going to be listening to this?" he asked.
"Listening to 'this'"? I queried. "Do you mean, BARRY MANILOW?"
He winced. He VISIBLY winced. "I love you, Jen ... but I'm sorry, I just can't."
I was stunned. Stunned! Barry Manilow is a genius! He writes the songs that makes the whole world sing!! He writes the songs of love and special things!! He writes the songs that make the young girls cry!! While Charlie stood poised to walk out of the room with his laptop in his arms, I thought for sure I could sway him to stay with me. So I played, "Could it be Magic" with it's beautiful piano intro and in perfect time with Barry, I romantically sang to my husband, "Spirit move me ... every time I'm near you, whirling like a cyclone in my mind. Sweet Charlie, angel of my lifetime, answer to all answers I can find. Baby I love you, come - come - come in to my arms, let me know the wonder of all of you!"
Charlie snorted and said, "Yeah, the Spirit's moving me all right. RIGHT OUT OF THIS ROOM."
I was going to ask if he'd rather we listen to his country music (the majority voted with me that Blackberry Smoke was more country than Southern Rock) but after 18 years, I've learned that one of the keys to a happy marriage is accepting the fact that we aren't going to always agree on everything.
Sometimes my husband's just plain crazy.
