Saturday 9: We Belong Together (2005)
Unfamiliar
with this week's tune? Hear it here.
This month we're going to recall Summer Songs. These will all be records that topped the charts during August.
1) Number 1 on the charts in August 20 years ago, "We Belong Together" is about the end of this romantic relationship. Mariah sings that now she won't have anyone to talk to on the phone until the sun comes up. That was then. Today many people prefer to text than to talk on the phone. Are you one of those people? No! Of course, texts are fine for, "I'm on my way ..." or "Running late." But for everything else, I'd much rather have a conversation, where I can hear your voice and ask you for clarification. Fewer misunderstandings and greater connection with phone calls. Failing that, I'd prefer a nice, long email that truly expresses how you feel.
2) The video for this song features an elaborate wedding. Tell us about the last wedding you attended. My friend Kathleen's daughter got married almost a year ago. I held her as a baby, so it was rather emotional for me to see her as a beautiful bride. It really is a gift to watch someone grow up before your eyes.
3) Mariah believes she inherited her musical gifts from her mom, who was an opera singer and vocal coach. When things were hectic in their household, Mariah recalls that music helped bring her and her mom closer together. Share a happy childhood memory featuring you and one of your parents. I realize now how much effort my mom put into preserving Santa Claus for us. Santa's gifts came in special wrapping paper. The tags were written in a different ink and an unfamiliar handwriting (her left hand). Things like that. It was really sweet, how seriously she took it and how important maintaining that magic was to her.
4) After graduating from high school in Long Island, Mariah Carey went to Manhattan in search of stardom. While waiting for her big break, she enrolled in beauty school and waited tables. Both stylists and servers receive gratuities for their services. Do you consider yourself a good tipper? I try.
5) The Fresh Air Fund operates six camps in the New York area to provide kids with a chance to learn and explore outdoors. They named Camp Mariah in Ms. Carey's honor to thank her for her support. Here's your chance to toot your own horn. Tell us about an honor you received. (Anything from a major award to a handmade drawing that says "World's Best Mom" counts. We want to hear about it.) Back in the 1990s I won a Clio. I used to be very proud of it, because it's advertising's most prestigious award. With time, I stopped displaying it in my office and never mentioned it because advertising is such an ageist industry. Eventually I actually became ashamed of it because I won it before some of my coworkers were born. I thought the year it was bestowed on me branded me as a dinosaur. Now that the advertising chapter of my life is over, I realize that was kind of sad. My work won national recognition. I wish I had enjoyed it more.
6) Mariah has mentioned she enjoys pizza and red wine. Will you be enjoying either pizza or red wine this weekend? Had pizza today (Friday) so I doubt I'll repeat. Unfortunately, wine gives me migraines, so that's a very hard no.
Let's look at the summer of 2005.
7) The biggest news story that summer was Hurricane Katrina. This deadly and destructive storm killed over 1,000 people and did more than $100 billion in damage. Have you ever endured a natural disaster (such as hurricane, flood, landslide, tornado, blizzard, wildfire)? When I was 9, we had what Chicagoans still refer to as The Big Snow. More than 20" fell in just a few hours. It wasn't just the snow total – which was prodigious – it was the speed with which Mother Nature dumped it on us. While the adults in my world were freaking out as all roads, schools and businesses closed, I had a glorious time. There were such drifts in our backyard that I was able to walk over to our neighbor's property. The snow had completely obliterated their 5' chain link fence. My mom warned me to never, never, never do that again. As the snow melted I could have been impaled on that fence. But when you're 9, you don't think of such things. You're just having adventures.
8)
Popular that summer was Kingda Ka, the new roller coaster at Six Flags
Great America in Jackson, NJ. At the time, it was the tallest and
fastest roller coaster in the world. Have you been to any fairs or
amusement parks this summer? No. It's been too hot!
9)
Award-winning American figure skater Alysa Liu was born in August of
2005. NBC Sports and their Peacock network report that figure skating
events get high ratings. What's your favorite sport to watch on TV? Go, Cubs, Go!
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