Bewitched, bothered and bewildered

In 1992, Samantha Hoover made me a cassette for my drive back to Syracuse from Binghamton University. That cassette was played numerous times and, over the course of several years, it played not only the United States, but also driving in Europe and Japan.

Yesterday, walking into the Reading and Language Arts Center at Syracuse University, the incredible Rebecca Freeland (who meets and greets everyone into the office) began singing an Ella Fitzgerald song, "Bewitched, bothered and bewildered." I felt so cultured because I was able to sing along with her. It was the first song on side two of Hoover's tape.

And outside the Huntington Hall, tom and alley cats could be heard yawping to compete with my singing talents as I tried to harmonize with Becky. Either way, I post the song for memory's sake, as it was one tune of many that could be heard in my Toyota Tercel (Joan Popper), my silver Ford Ranger (Ethyl Betty), and my Ford Explorer (Lucy) for many road trips in my past. In fact, Samantha's c.d. was also played for Amy Parton as we crossed the British Isles in both Princess Diana and Fergie, our two car rentals, that were driven during our summer at Cambridge University.

A song can launch a thousand ships in the seascape of one's manic mind.