Last Saturday night, I had one of those rare opportunities to spend some time alone, "stroll down memory lane", and relive some earlier life experiences.

Music has always been my doorway to the past and as the Baldwin household was settling down for a long winter's night, I found myself sitting alone in our TV room floor next to a portable radio listening to the "oldies " station. As I listened to the music of the sixities (my teenage years), I found myself becoming more and more antimated. I not only listened to the music but I started performing to it as well. Not only did my toes tap but my shoulders shrugged and my head bobbed much like I imagined the performers were doing. I even banged on my imaginary drums (my legs), strummed my imaginary guitar, and sang into my imaginary microphone (my fist). For a few short hours, the old man of forty-eight left his responsibilities behind and became a kid again.

Each record seemed to conjure up a different memory and I came to realize that I was reliving feelings as well as memories. I remembered the college classes, the two friends who took numerous LSD trips (now are a special ed. teacher and a drug counselor), smiled at my two song performance with the popular singing group, the Lettermen, at their concert, and recalled all the hopes, dreams, and plans we made during the "Age of Aquarius". I also came to realize that this time I was spending was not only relaxing but reminding me that my experiences are a part of me and it sometimes helps to relive them.

We all have memories locked inside of us. Some of them are good, some of them are bad, but they all make us what we are today. I think it is important to remember the past through our own "doorway" and remember that we weren't always an adult. Remember the joys and heartbreaks of being 15 (or any age) and remember the needs you had. A few moments of pleasant remanicing can yield a wealth of information to help you better understand your 15-year old (or any other aged) child.

Many of our memories are deeply buried within us and like it or not we are a product of those memories. They are what we were, what we are, and what we will be. Although now I am an adult and live in the here and now, there is a distinct part of me that is still a teenager. A part of me that is alive and well and living in the sixties.