story repository

There's this thing I do where I start out laughing at something and the next thing I know I really like it. It's happened numerous times throughout my life, but the very first time it happened was with June Christy. I can still remember little eight year old me going through my parents' record collection looking for something - anything - that looked even remotely interesting, usually without success. I had to settle for making fun of the squaresville record album covers, and the squarest of the square was "the Cool School" by June Christy. It sure didn't look very cool to me, and what the hell kind of name is "June" anyway? Then one day, for reasons long since forgotten, I must have been exceptionally bored, or maybe I was finally starting to realize that not everything my parents liked was terrible, but for whatever reason I decided to listen to the Cool School and see what the deal was. The liner notes told of children's songs done up in sophisticated, jazzy arrangements by one of the most respected vocalists of her era... but all of that was lost on me. I just wanted to hear "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead." Well, call it divine intervention or just my pre-adolescent clumsiness, but I dropped the needle onto "Aren't You Glad You're You" by accident and thus began my life-long membership in the June Christy Fan Club. Looking back, it's hard to remember just what it was about the song that grabbed my ears so immediately. Heck, though it's a very special song to me, it's not even my favorite song on the album. But something clicked and it clicked hard, and now, no matter how bad things are, it's guaranteed to make things better. Maybe not completely wonderful, but better than they were 2:22 earlier. Do you make the most of your five senses? Or is your life like Old Mother Hubbard's shelf? Well mark this on your slate: life is not an empty plate. That's if you appreciate... yourself. Every time you're near a rose, aren't you glad you've got a nose? And if the dawn is fresh with dew, aren't you glad you're you? When a meadowlark appears, aren't you glad you've got two ears? And if your heart is singing too, aren't you glad you're you? You can see a summer sky, or touch a friendly hand, or taste an apple pie, pardon the grammar, but ain't life grand? And when you wake up each morn, aren't you glad that your were born? Think what you've got the whole day through, aren't you glad you're you?