228. My Stereo

Since I’m starting to realize I have forgotten very basic things for which I am thankful, let me tell you that I am very thankful for my stereo system that I originally bought in 1985. It included a receiver with an equalizer and turntable. I thought about including a CD player, but decided against it because at that time I had none, they were too expensive and the players actually skipped like records if you bumped them which is why the original Sony Walkman was for tapes. Sometime in the nineties I bought a double cassette tape player to go along with it because it seemed crazy that I had tapes that I could only play on a little tape recorder or in my pickup. Of course, I eventually also bought a five CD player that was good enough to match the entire setup. I bought all of this to give me music while I spent time at home grading papers or reading. All of this was very satisfying and I saw no need to have a television. I still loved movies, but I was more than happy to drive to nearby theaters that played the latest blockbusters—places like Coeur d’Alene when I lived in Wallace, or Pocatello when I lived in Malad.

I’ve spent over a year noticing something going out on my stereo system and it’s taken me some time and false purchases of speakers to realize my second receiver is going out. The speakers—at first just one, now both—will just cut out for no apparent reason so I went up to Spokane (it’s very difficult to find stereo component systems anymore) with receiver in tow. We played it and it worked the entire time, so the guy had me fairly convinced it was probably my speakers going out. I bought some new speakers for $700 (I didn’t pay that much for the entire system in the original purchase), brought them home and after a day they, too, began cutting out.

So now I’m planning another trip to Spokane to return speakers and to buy a new receiver, or the recent equivalent… This time it will have blue tooth and Wi-Fi, so not only will I be able to play records, tapes, and CDs, I’ll also be able to stream radio stations and music streaming services either from the device or through my phone via blue tooth. I’ll go back to listen to international radio stations, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora, etc. I haven’t been listening to those streaming services much since I retired and have only a laptop. I don’t know for sure, but it may work for sound while watching streaming movies from my TV without hooking up to a cord, but I will certainly be able to use a cord to the TV if the streaming doesn’t work. This system is definitely going to cost more than I’ve ever spent on the whole thing put together, though probably not so much if I consider inflation (just over the last three months!). I’m excited thinking about it.

I love listening to all the old music from the early part of the 20^th century along with current music. I also just enjoy listening to Classical and Baroque music. I can get lost in the music of Bach and his contemporaries like Vivaldi and Pachelbel. There is something about being surrounded by Baroque music that enhances my ability to focus on a book or studying something. While the classical is best listened to alone since most of my family does not appreciate my period music, they might still find themselves trapped with it every now and then as they always have throughout the years.

I have also been known to rock out to music with the boys when they were little, and even now. Bryson and I used to sing loudly to “Shout it Out” and Forrest loved to be thrown around to “Roll with It, Baby.” I’ve also spent a bit of time just listening to music on the stereo as I contemplate things in life or celebrate the holiday seasons. There are plenty of Bing Crosby Christmas carols and some Gregorian chants that have taken me through sorrow and reminded me of the resurrection. All of that has been brought to my mind with some help from music, music I can play on my stereo system. I definitely love my stereo.