Sweet Spot

Every year our family goes to Blowing Rock. We have gone almost every year since 2011. It has very much become a family tradition.

The trip to the mountains takes us 3 or 4 hours - depending on how many bathroom breaks we have to take because someone ‘forgot’ to pee at the last stop. Usually I take control of the aux cord and decide what we will listen to on the radio. In the early days - before everyone had their own noise cancelling headphones - that meant the kids were forced to listen to my music. Based on their reactions, I assume this was some kind of awful punishment.

One year, we got on the road and I fired up the road trip playlist. As the song started, Matthew groaned. “Oh god,” he said. “This has a banjo in it. I KNOW it’s gonna suck.” We all laughed. He still had to listen to the banjo song. And lots more too. Most of the songs I like have a banjo in them.

Matthew’s declaration became a family joke. To this day, I don’t think any of us can hear a banjo and not think of that moment.

For the life of me, I can’t remember what the song was. It’s funny. I remember other details of that moment - down to the black hoodie Matthew was wearing - but I can’t remember the song.