The Soundtrack Home
Roadworks forced me onto a different route — three unexpected miles. Sometimes a detour is a gift disguised as an inconvenience.
Amazon Music had quietly been choosing the soundtrack. One song became another, then another, and each one seemed to land at exactly the right moment. First, Shakira's Try Everything — the one from Zootopia, all forward motion and refusing to quit, the kind of song that turns a bad day defiant. Then, straight after, the 4*Town song from Turning Red — the one about wanting something and actually going out and getting it, delivered with all the sincerity of a boy band that knows exactly how silly and wonderful it is.
Maybe they were just songs shuffling in whatever order an algorithm decided. Maybe they weren't speaking to me at all. Or maybe I was finally in the right state to listen.
I sang every word as though nobody was watching. Fortunately, nobody was — at least until I reached my street.
As I turned the corner, I saw my daughters playing outside with their friends. Without thinking, I wound the windows down and turned the music up. They came running before I'd even switched off the engine, dancing in the road while their friends looked on, probably wondering what exactly was happening. I joined in anyway, arms swinging around the inside of the car.
Children have a remarkable ability to remind you how little dignity is actually required for joy.
