A Minivan, a Stranger, and a Song: How Uptown Funk Made my Year

Ladies, I have good news. There is still good in this world and our town. Whatever you feel lately with the news, or the fact that it’s about to get dark at 4pm, hold fast. Good things happen all the time. In fact, this very week, something amazing happened to me. In this moment, I have never been more cool or more awesome. After this, it might be all down hill for my cool factor, but I’ll talk about my rock star moment for-evah. 

I had just picked up both kids, one from preschool and one from kindergarten. They each decided that school had just been too much, and they were over it. Over what, you might wonder? Apparently over the fact that the sun was shining, it wasn’t 98F degrees outside, and someone else was breathing their precious air. “Stop looking at me!” “Mom, he just called me a poopy head with his eyes!” “I did. I say E you a poo head. Wif my eye.” Repeat infinity. No amount of “If you don’t stop arguing, I’m going to pull this car over and…” would make them stop. I needed some help, some wine, or some Calgon to take me away. I had none of that with me, but I had the radio and the controls to the windows. I rolled the windows down and let the blast of cold…I mean refreshing…air stop the arguing in its tracks. I lovingly and responsibly call this parenting technique ‘airing them out.’ It works wonders. Feel free to put this in your parenting arsenal. 

I turned up the radio and belted out all my frustrations to some Bruno Mars Uptown Funk. Now listen; anytime Uptown Funk comes on the radio, it’s a national law that you have to sing and dance. I’m an upstanding citizen, so I did my civic duty. I belted out the lyrics and got my shimmy on in my seat. I came to a stoplight and continued grooving with some added moves, because hello, anyone can dance well in the car. You only have to move half your body, so you don’t have to worry about how to coordinate your feet and all that. Trust me on this. I’m a prize winning car dancer. 

Anyway, I happened to glance over to the car next to me and it happened.

A fellow mom in a red minivan was following along with my dance routine! She rolled down her window and turned her radio to the same local channel and was immediately belting out Uptown Funk with me! Y’all. It. Was. Amazing. I felt like I had stumbled into a scene straight from a movie. I’ve always fantasized about my life like a movie complete with narration and a soundtrack. Here’s our main heroine mopping those floors. You mop them hard girl, get them sparkling. (Kidding, I don’t actually mop that often, but when I do it’s worthy of narration and a song to go with it.) This was my moment. I was having an uber cool adult moment and it had a song set to it! When it came to the lyric “fill my cup, put some liquor in it,” we both grabbed our coffee cups and gave a virtual toast. Once again…Y’ALL…I had my rock star movie moment! 

Someone behind us honked their horn to get us moving since we had missed the light turning green, and we both went on our way. But she’s out there, this fellow Mom in a red minivan who dances and sings with a total stranger at a red light. She lives in our city. If this is you reading this, HEY GIRL HEY!! COME OVER TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE YOU ARE MY PEOPLE. LET’S START A LADY GANG. TELL THE OTHERS TO JOIN AND LET’S HAVE A YOGA PANTS WEARING DANCE PARTY! 

I posted this to my people who are already part of my lady gang, or tribe, or collection of fellow human moms, whatever you call them, and we haven’t been able to find her, but I know she’s out there. In the meantime, she’s inspired me. That moment, as random and amazing as it was, has made me appreciate connections with others. I connected with a random stranger and it made my whole year. I will always talk about this moment. It’s on my calendar, on FB for memories to remind me later on, and in my journal. This random connection made an impact on me. It made me incredibly happy and that’s something I needed. You probably need it too.

I hope this inspires you to connect with someone. Imagine being in the car pickup line foooorrreeeevvvver and how awesome it would be to dance along with another Mom. How fun would grocery shopping be when your kids are melting down, if you connected with another Mom and gave her the Mockingjay salute? We can do this y’all. We can be someone else’s rock star movie moment. It takes a bit of pride, because there is a chance that they’ll be all…who is this crazy person giving me the crazy eye and dancing? But, take comfort; they are a stranger and if that happens you never have to see them again. Plus, doesn’t being over 30 give you more leeway in being able to tolerate a little uncomfortableness for the sake of being awesome? It absolutely does. If you’re reading this and you’re under 30, well, enjoy your skin elasticity and pretend you don’t care along with us. 

So, I’ll be doing my part during stoplights and carline pickup. I drive a silver SUV. I have a decal on my back window, and chances are I’ll be rocking out. Come join me.