One Love, One Heart

Just ran out to lunch and remembered I had put Bob Marley Legend in my CD player. I did so because last night Grady, Liam and I were having dinner and listening to the radio and One Love came on. I turned it up and before I knew it, there was a full-fledged dance party in the kitchen. Grady and Liam had both gotten up from the table to dance. It was so funny. I took out the CD and played a couple more tunes and turned them both into die hard reggae fans.

Reminds me of my early- to late-adolescence. I was big fan of reggae, courtesy of my older cousin, John. I was at his house one day and he played Bob Marley and Wailers Live, and I was hooked. When my godfather gave to me as a 16th birthday present a trip ANYWHERE in the world I wanted to go, I chose Jamaica. He and I had a great time there.

Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs – they were the staple of my listening back then. When I inherited the old 1977 Toyota Corolla from my sister, I promptly got a vanity plate: JAH RSTA. IRIE was already taken, damnit.

I became good friends with Mike L. and Frank M. my sophomore year of high school, and some of my enthusiasm for reggae rubbed off on them. When my sister went off to James Madison University, just two hours from our house, Mike, Frank and I made some fun road trips; once to catch Ziggy Marley open for INXS. Great show by both bands.

Our senior year, we tried to get our class to vote in Bob Marley’s One Love for the prom theme. It almost worked, but Alphaville’s Forever Young (BORING!) edged it out. The DJ was tipped off though, and played One Love right after. We were jazzed, but our dates kind of rolled their eyes at us.

I scarred my date, Cathy D, for life that night.

Cathy D., homecoming queen, cheerleader and voted “best all around,” and I were just kind of flirty friends, but we knew we’d have fun together at the prom. And, I took some satisfaction in beating Brian C. to the punch. Anyway, at the after-party, we were sitting in a hot tub attached to a pool – you know the kind. At one point, I was sitting forward talking to someone else, and Cathy put her hand on my back. Unthinking, I sat back to look at her and see what she was up to, and she pulled her hand away (Embarrassed, unintentional? I don't know why.). Well, her hand was sandwiched between my back and the concrete side of the hot tub, so when she pulled it back, some skin from the back of her hand tore off. If you’ve ever cut the back of your hand, you know how badly it scars; imagine tearing off a dime-sized piece of skin. I saw her during breaks in college (she went to Alabama) and that scar never got any prettier. It’s on her right hand. I wonder if she thinks of me often because of it. :)

Did you ever scrape the top of your foot on the bottom of a pool? Man, that hurts. And, it's the same kind of skin as on the back of your hand. So, perhaps you're more familiar with Cathy's injury now.