The Absent UncleL Our music collection

When my wife-to-be and I came together back in the mid to late 1970’s we brought together bits and pieces of our present households (and a whole lot more purchased together since!) that make up our history, both individually and together.

In our living room we have a six-level bookcase that has four levels filled with our music albums, CD’s, and a few keepsakes related to our favorite musical artists.

We came together with significantly different music collections. While we are the same age, we come from different backgrounds, different states, and surprisingly, brought about the same size collection to the relationship. But to this day – we know which albums were whose and while they may be alphabetical now, that is not how they have always been.

The collection is roughly about 140 albums and is pretty evenly divided between us. The CD collection is larger, but all were obtained after we were together and represent a lot of yours, mine, and ours. 

But going back to those albums. We found we had three albums in common. So, we still have those three doubles. 

But the rest – my taste varied from classical to a very few hard rock, some country (mainly Willie and Johnny Cash), show tunes, a polka album, a bit of disco, and a crooner or two. She specialized in folk, the Beatles, some Woodstock-era artists, and bit of hard rock (not the same artists as mine). 

I came to appreciate her collection a lot more than she appreciated mine (which is reflected in the CD’s), but to this day I enjoy pulling out an album and putting it on our turntable (bought together in 1977 – we both had crappy ones!) and listening to my old classics. 

Music is timeless. It can take you back in time or it can be just as current as today, and it certainly doesn’t have the same meaning for every listener.   

Shared or personal – it binds us together.