Lullaby in the Backseat.
I like the backseat. I talk about the backseat on Twitter whenever I get the chance.
Actually, there is a source for this, and those who know it are likely smiling to themselves.
Today is a story from my childhood, when I learned about peace.
***
"Peace is sleeping in the backseat of a car. Your parents are in the front seat, and there is nothing to worry about. But you know, one day, that peace disappears. You have to move to the front seat. And instead of your parents, who are no longer there, you become the one who provides peace to someone else."
As mentioned in the article above, the final sentence of this translation is not in the original. It was likely added, interpreted, or imbued with sentiment by various people as it was passed down through the whirlpool of the internet (also known as a copy-paste).
Setting that aside, this metaphor for peace resonates deeply with me. It feels like it slowly melts into my chest and settles at the bottom of my heart.
***
Glenn Miller.
My family's car, a seven-seater red Peugeot, packed with my parents and five children.
My father was a busy man, so there probably weren't that many, but the occasional extraordinary family outing was a lot of fun.
Even as children, seven of us together was quite cramped, and the very back seat swayed a lot, so my older brother often got sick (self-censored).
But looking back, that cramped and chaotic space was an irreplaceable treasure.
It must have been my father's taste that Glenn Miller and Billy Joel were often playing.
When we traveled, we would sometimes play other songs or the children would sing freely, but even now, listening to these songs reminds me of the sense of security from those days.
That indescribable, nostalgic space. If I close my eyes, I feel as if my body is swaying before I know it.
In the quiet car, adult conversations are woven between the driver's seat and the passenger seat.
Using that as a blanket, the children lean against each other with happy sleeping faces.
I think I will tell the story of the red Peugeot that has already retired, some other time.
What kind of sounds were you surrounded by in the backseat where you used to sit?
And what kind of sounds is it playing now?