I was driving to a toy store yesterday to find the perfect gift for Chloe’s next Kindergarten b-day party. Something that would be messy, require batteries, have only the French instructions and would hopefully be missing a series of small, necessary parts. That should show that family who introduced my daughter to the Tweety bird toy not to mess with us.

 
While on the highway, I heard a familiar song and a wave of nostalgia came over me. It was like I was back in my parent’s K-Car listening to Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer.”

 
I started to belt out the lyrics, just a Mom alone in her mini-van barreling down the highway at a respectable 100 km/h in a 100km/h zone with my out-of-style sunglasses and Costco yoga capris.

 
When I exited the highway, “Living On A Prayer” was still playing and I found myself stopped at a light with cars on either side of me.

 
I had to make a choice.

 
I could stop singing and in that moment, it occurred to me, we are a society that encourages the arts, music and all of the joy it brings us in a myriad of settings including; your shower, your home, a karaoke bar. Just not in your car. In your car, you look like a total and complete idiot.

 
Still, I was feeling the music. I couldn’t stop singing. Except when I hit the “Living On A Prayer” part. I found myself singing all the way through up to and including, “Oh, we’re half way there, Oh-oh!” and then I did this, “Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm” as I tapped my steering wheel to the beat.

 
This had everything to do with a bigger cover up and nothing to do with my own enjoyment of the lyrics or my unbelievable falsetto. By the way, if you haven’t tried to sing the “Living On A Prayer” part, you won’t make it. I swear.

 
Then I thought, maybe I’m bringing a smile to those around me. As they drive off giggling at the crazy Mom in her mini-van, reliving some sort of 80’s YMCA dance, it will brighten their day.

 
And maybe they were making a game out of trying to find the station I was listening to by reading my lips and matching them to the song.

 
She says, “We’ve got to hold on to what we’ve got
It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not
We’ve got each other and that’s a lot for love
We’ll give it a shot”