Ultimate Hangover Song

Below are the lyrics to Celine Dion's classic love ballad, "It's All Coming Back To Me Now". It's a classic Celine hit that speaks of undying love and with natural opportunities for her to hit those notes for which she's so famous. As I was listening to this song today through my earbuds, a thought popped into my head...all of this could be the result of an overly libatious evening. I have had my share and I've experiences most of the events and feelings that Celine so eloquently sings about. The difference is mine have nothing to do with love but everything to do with a wild night the the recollection process the next day. Let me explain...


"It's All Coming Back To Me Now"

There were nights when the wind was so cold
That my body froze in bed
If I just listened to it
Right outside the window
Either you've left a window or door open because you were too drunk to remember to close it or you've passed out and do not have the physical capacity to pull the covers over yourself.

There were days when the sun was so cruel
That all the tears turned to dust
And I just knew my eyes were
Drying up forever
Living in the South during the summer, you'll often feel like this but it's worse after a cocktail catastrophe.  I freely call them the beer sweats or you could call the crown or vodka sweats, just pick your poison.  In reality, though, it's best to sweat that stuff out. And drink Smart water and eat a banana. And you may want to check if that's tears turning to dust or dirt from where you fell last night and your face broke the fall.

I finished crying in the instant that you left
And I can't remember where or when or how
And I banished every memory you and I had ever made
Of course you finished crying the instant that someone left because when we're drunk we either have no focus or we hyper-focus. This version chooses the former. You can't remember where or when or how because you blacked out so don't try to lie and say you banished the memory forever.  All it will take is one little trigger and you'll hang your head in shame for your drunken actions.
 
But when you touch me like this
And you hold me like that
I just have to admit
That it's all coming back to me
When I touch you like this
And I hold you like that
It's so hard to believe but
It's all coming back to me
(It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now)
This basically means that one night stand that you can't really recall is becoming a regular booty call and it's coming back to you that this has happened before. You even say it twice in disbelief that you let this happen for a second time. SMH.
 
There were moments of gold
And there were flashes of light
There were things I'd never do again
But then they'd always seemed right
There were nights of endless pleasure
It was more than any laws allow
Baby Baby
This is something I can definitely relate to.  Beer is so beautiful in a glass. It's the most lovely color of gold with bubbles floating to the top like endless dreams. Once you drink enough of these, you may see flashing lights. Hope for your sake, it's not the flashing lights of a cop car.  Then there's the things you recall where you say, "I can't believe we did that!! I'll never do that again!!" But you do because dumb decisions always seem right when you've got liquid courage but remember that the law will only allow so much.

If I kiss you like this
And if you whisper like that
It was lost long ago
But it's all coming back to me
If you want me like this
And if you need me like that
It was dead long ago
But it's all coming back to me
It's so hard to resist
And it's all coming back to me
I can barely recall
But it's all coming back to me now
But it's all coming back
All people "whisper" when they're drunk but are they really whispering? It's more like a breathy shout. And beware of strangers whispering in your ears.  That's usually a big sign that someone's a perv and they're gonna let that freak flag fly.
 
There were those empty threats and hollow lies
And whenever you tried to hurt me
I just hurt you even worse
And so much deeper
This is a page straight out of the Legion.  If you don't know what the Legion is, then you're not from Picayune.  There's always threats and lies then someone flirts with someone and they have to be one upped by their "significant other" going home with someone. Classic Legion.
 
There were hours that just went on for days
When alone at last we'd count up all the chances
That were lost to us forever
I think at this point you've ventured from our friend Alcohol and perhaps have moved on to his deadly nemesis, meth. Alcohol will at least cause you to pass out. If you're up for days, you may need to reevaluate some things.
 
But you were history with the slamming of the door
And I made myself so strong again somehow
And I never wasted any of my time on you since then
Tempers flare when drinking, especially if it's a dark liquor. Keep it light so your girl or guy never has to not waste time on you by plowing through a bunch of other people. You want time wasted on you.  And also, sometimes it's best to keep things behind closed doors so no slamming.

When you touch me like this
And when you hold me like that
It was gone with the wind
But it's all coming back to me
When you see me like this
And when I see you like that
Then we see what we want to see
All coming back to me
The flesh and the fantasies
All coming back to me
I can barely recall
But it's all coming back to me now
It's always fun to reminisce when we drink. Recalling fond memories or talking about great movies like Gone with the Wind. Some people stray into not-so-family-friendly territory and start talking about flesh and fantasies.  Let's try to keep it PG 13 depending on the company you keep.
 
If you forgive me all this
If I forgive you all that
We forgive and forget
And it's all coming back to me
When you see me like this
And when I see you like that
We see just what we want to see
All coming back to me
The flesh and the fantasies
All coming back to me
I can barely recall but it's all coming back to me now
This says so much. You always forget the bad stuff when you've had a few. That's where drunk dialing and later, drunk texting came from. The next morning you'll check your phone and want to kick yourself for your actions. And if someone does come over after a drunk call/text and sees you after an evening of debauchery, they'll surely have their beer goggles on too and will not see you for the train wreck that you are.  You really will see just what you want to see. I believe Mickey Gilley said it best when he said, "The girls all get prettier at closing time".  That holds true for the boys, too.
 
(It's all coming back to me now)
And when you kiss me like this
(It's all coming back to me now)
And when I touch you like that
(It's all coming back to me now)
If you do it like this
(It's all coming back to me now)
And if we, , ,
You can't even finish that last sentence because someone brought over Taco Bell or offered to drive you to Waffle House and you got distracted.

This is my take on the true meaning of this song.  Ok, ok, maybe not the true meaning but you have to admit, it all makes sense.  Happy Friday!!  

My Friend, Steve...

A piece of my heart was completely broken and taken away last night.   I know I'll get that piece back one day and it will be completely healed and all will be right but for this moment I'm dealing with that piece being gone. Last night, the we lost a husband, father, comedian, all around good man and I lost my friend.  Thinking back over the last 28 and a half years that I've been blessed to know Steve has made tears overflow but I've also laughed because that's what we did most together.

It all started in Picayune, circa 1985.  If you're familiar with the Picayune school system then you know that 4 elementary schools combine into one giant pool of teenagers when everyone reaches 7th grade.  It's a hot mess of hormones, nerves and kids trying to create an identity in a completely new environment. Steve was one of the first people that I met that did not attend elementary school with me. I still believe, to this very moment, it was the quickest bond I've ever had with someone that wasn't my own blood.

We both have larger than life personalities but we never tried to overshadow the other. It was as if we just wanted to make the other one laugh. I felt like we were a comedy team doing a bit.  There's a movie from the 80's called "When Harry Met Sally".  In it, Billy Crystal tells Meg Ryan that men and women can never be friends. I do believe that is true in most cases but Steve and I blew that theory right out of the water. Steve blew that theory up with most of our, still very close knit, group of girlfriends.  One thing I distinctly recall was that in junior high, our friend, Lyndy, would invite a group of us to go to the wave pool every summer.  Her mom would load up about 6 of us girls and Steve.  He was the only guy allowed to go. And before texting was all the craze, we'd do a little thing called talking on the phone.  Oh, Sweet Baby Moses, would we talk. Hours and hours and hours...you'd think we were solving the world's problems but I can assure you we weren't.  I actually fell asleep on the phone one time we talked so deep into the night.  Some of my fondest memories from junior high were the weekends spent with Steve and Michele. If we weren't be dropped off at the mall and abandoned by my ever trusting parents, we were being dropped off at the bowling ally then casually walking down a busy highway with no sidewalks back home.  Parents were a lot more lenient then and I firmly believe kids were smarter. I mean, seriously, we made out ok. No harm, no foul.

As we progressed into high school, nothing really changed. We were still goofballs. We still cut up every chance we could. It got to the point in one class that, even after separating us by putting us on opposite sides of the room, our teacher had to ask us to control ourselves because she couldn't handle the class with both of us in it.  It's not that we were bad, just hams. Big, giant, Thanksgiving hams. Steve's outgoing, friendly personality made him the most popular guy in school. I can't think of a person that didn't like Steve. His kindness made everyone feel welcome. Combine that with his humor and everyone wanted to be around him.

College separated us geographically but no matter the time spent apart, when we got together is was as if we never missed a day. The years went by and we went on with our lives.  Steve married Melissa and they had the oh so handsome, Jace and later came cutie pie, Brendan. Family, working and living life caused communication to be sparse but that's how things go.  The good thing about my friend, Steve, was that on the rare occasions that we did talk, we picked up where we left off.

The last time that I spent time with Steve in person was at our 20 year reunion. I was thankful then and even more thankful now that when the "reunion party" was over that a few of us went back to the hotel, had a few beers in the courtyard and talked. That was the most fun part of the night for me, no offense to anyone else. It was a weekend filled with fun, laughs and most of all, friends. Oxford Dictionary defines the word friend as, "a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection." We are so lucky if we come across people special enough that you want to keep them with you for your entire lifetime.  Steve was and will always be one of those people.

On November 28, 2012, Melissa messaged me letting me know that Steve just received news that would, inevitably, lead us to this point. My heart sank and I sank to my knees to pray. Since that day, there has not been a day that goes by that Steve has not been on my mind, in my heart and repeated in my prayers. I prayed for his healing, strength for Melissa and comfort for their boys. Melissa has far surpassed what most humans show not only in strength but in a faith in God that does not waiver. I am so thankful that she was by Steve's side during his last years and especially these last weeks and days. Melissa, Jace and Brendan, you have lost the Earthly presence of Steve, but I know your faith is going to get you through the sadness of this loss and deliver you to the happiness that will one day come.

As for my friend, Steve, he took that piece of my heart with him at 8:00 last night and as the light in the world got a little more dim, Heaven brightened like a Broadway stage. The pain of the break hurts but I know that he's taking good care of the part that he has in Heaven.  The last time Steve and I spoke and he told me the cancer was back he said, "This disease may take my life but it will not still my joy in the Lord." As my heart aches, it is also comforted by the fact that Steve did have a love for God that could not be shaken. He has left his painful body and is living in a joy that none of us can even imagine. As I went to sleep last night, I even thought that I heard his laugh. And if I know Steve, he was laughing his way through a story that he was telling.  Classic Steve.  I know I will get Steve's piece of my heart back one day when we meet again. And, Steve, I expect to receive the funniest, most sarcastic greeting one has ever received when I arrive at my final destination.