“Zoom,” and the songs our parents leave with us
Some records stay with us because of the people who loved them.
“Zoom” was one of my father’s favorites.
I miss my dad. When I hear this song, I think of him and how much I wish we could listen to it together again. Sharing it here is one way to keep him close.
That is where this session begins for me. Before I say anything about the recording, there is that connection. The Commodores’ song belongs to my own listening life, but it also brings my father into the picture.
Some songs become favorites because of the music itself. Others gain something from knowing who else loved them. This one carries both.
Knowing who loved a record
I don’t need to turn that memory into a long list of occasions. Knowing that my father loved “Zoom” is enough to change the way I hear it. There is a person attached to the recording before the first note plays.
I think many of us have music like that. We know somebody’s favorite artist, the album they returned to or the song they were always happy to hear. Over time, those preferences become part of how we remember them.
A record can give us something very ordinary and very valuable: a reason to think about someone. It can bring a familiar name into an otherwise busy day. It can lead us to talk about a person we haven’t mentioned in a while.
When I share “Zoom,” I’m sharing that connection as much as the track. I’d like readers to know a little more about the person choosing the music, and this is one of the simplest ways to tell you.
A song worth giving time to
“Zoom” is a good song to settle into. Give it a few minutes rather than letting it pass in the background. The full official audio is in the player, and the Pacific44 film can run while you listen.
I chose a coastal setting for this session: evening light on the water, a record on the turntable and time to enjoy the view. It gives the music a place to breathe, and it gives us a reason to stay awhile.
This was one of my father’s favorites.
A Sunday with time to listen
There are plenty of days when I use music to help me move through something else. I can have a recording on while I’m driving, working out or getting things done at home. I enjoy that kind of listening too.
For this page, I wanted to give one song more of our attention. Let the player run from beginning to end. Watch the film for a little while. Look away from the screen if you’d rather, and allow the recording to be the thing you’re doing.
A Sunday can hold a few minutes like that. We don’t need to turn every interest into another task or every spare hour into something productive. Sometimes we can enjoy the music because we enjoy the music.
The coastal view in the film is a setting for that pause. It belongs to the Pacific44 world of places, stories and experiences, but the memory at the center of this session stays personal. This was one of my father’s favorites.
The things music keeps for us
As I get closer to 60, I appreciate the way a recording can keep a connection within reach. We carry a lot of people and places through our lives. Sometimes it takes only a song title to bring one of them to mind.
That is part of what I want Sunday Sounds & Smiles to hold. The music matters, and so do the people we associate with it. These sessions give both a little space.
I hope you have a song like that too. A favorite someone shared with you. A record that makes you think of a parent, a friend or a place you haven’t been in years.
This Sunday, mine is “Zoom.” Let the whole song play, and see who comes to mind.
Allen S. Robinson
Founder & Publisher | The Pacific44 Journal
The Journey to 60 and Beyond
LIVE WELL ◆ STAY CURIOUS ◆ KEEP MOVING
