My Life in a Playlist

Day 4: Led Zeppelin - Going to California

I miss my Dad. I haven't ever written about him specifically because his passing was so heart wrenching to me. What my sister did was so abominable, I haven't spoken to her since my parents both passed about five years ago. But that isn't what this is about, and I am very thankful there is no song to remind me of that time. No, this is from a much earlier time. My Father was a minister, and I was a wayward kid. He wanted me to believe as he did, but I did not. As I got older it became more and more pugilistic, and one night I got the "my house... my rules" speech. It was time to go. I packed a small bag, grabbed my schoolwork, even though it was summer, and left.

I sat at one of the hangouts used my friends, and this song came on the radio. It was my going away song, and that was my plan. Use the summer to get to California and set up a life. At that age it would have been a terrible mistake, and I'm lucky I only got a few miles out of town to stay with a girl I was seeing. I'm certain she'll be in this document at some point. But forever after, that song has reminded me of him. Fortunately, we mended fences later in life, and it was nice to have real theological discussions, or really, any at all. I wish I could have one with him again.