Sunday Music: A Fifth of Beethoven

My troubled relationship with the month of August began in 1965. That was the year I completed summer vacation between 1st and 2nd grade. Even though my birthday was in August, the dread of the coming school year overshadowed the promise of gifts and chocolate cake. My freedom was nearing an end. No more swinging on grapevines with the neighbor boys, catching toads and crayfish in the nearby stream, or day-dreaming in the endlessly green, afternoon shade. I also wasn't allowed to draw pictures at length. They didn't seem to like my pictures anyway, since the color always went outside the lines. At recess, I was supposed to play with girls, but their behavior was puzzling. One game involved two of them twirling a rope while another jumped over it, chanting. It seemed both difficult and tedious. But, the worst thing about school were the potty breaks. At regular intervals of time--which were probably much shorter than the eons I remember--we lined up and visited the restrooms. This caused me untold anxiety. I had never had to "hold" it before, and was unsure about how long was too long. Another girl wet her pants while seated at her desk. I still remember her tear-streaked face.

This August has definitely lived down to expectations. In no particular order: mom in hospital for four days (she's ok now), lost (and dead) cat, stepped on glass then broke baby toe, migraine (?), detached dental veneer/crown and several oncology appointments. I have had a couple good days--ones where I haven't been crying or mutilating my feet. One of those was Saturday, when we went to Millennium Park for the final classical program of the summer. The performance was of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which ends with the chorus "Ode to Joy." It was beautiful, "august" even. But, you still can't dance to it, and my feet are long overdue. The single "A Fifth of Beethoven" hit number one in 1976, and was later featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.




A Fifth of Beethoven [At Superseventies.com]