The Lost Songs

The Lost Songs by Caroline B. Cooney shares the emotional story of 16 year old Lutie Painter and the difficult decision she must make- should she share her deep, musical roots with Professor Durham or stay true to MeeMaw’s commandment and keep them secret? Lutie has been given a gift, the Laundry List of gospel songs sung by her great-great-grandmother, Mabel Painter. These songs are about the labor of Mabel’s day working as a laundress, more or less a slave. Mabel did not write them down either which is an enticing element for Professor Durham as he wants Lutie to sing so he can document and display the songs in his music museum. Lutie does not want to let her family down but feels obligated to share her intricate piece of American history. The whole book was a rollercoaster of emotion that was interspersed with hope, rich in Southern community and comfort, as well as intimately touching with the power and glory of music in family.

I was drawn in as soon as I finished the first chapter. Surprisingly, I didn’t want to put it down. (And I’m not just saying that to make it sound interesting, that’s coming from a girl who despises reading.)  I connected with Lutie’s situation and formed of a relationship with friends in this novel; Kelvin, Doria, and Train. These four lives are intertwined and are forced to accept and support each other at desperate times of need. True friendship was revealed in Cooney’s immaculate choice of characters. We ALL have friends like these. I didn’t realize I had friends like this until I read the book. Oh my gosh! - reading actually applies to real life, who would have thought?

Miss Veola, Lutie’s pastor, really got me thinking about faith and the trust we put into God without even realizing it. Mabel had given everything to Him. Her world was in shambles and yet, she never gave up. The Laundry List was her way out, her connection to the One who held all of her cards.

                “Like me, O Lord.

                Where’s my place to rest?

                You holding it for me?

                There a manger for my head?

                O Lord, I need some rest.”

This book made me reflect on my faith and the ties it has within my own family, just like Lutie. Hats off to you, Cooney, this was a heartfelt read and I’m glad I found a way to relate to the story.

Lutie’s decision was a hard one, at that. She had her ups and downs; there were twists and turns, the typical checklist for an emotional novel. But of course, I can’t tell you how it ends, that’d be no fun. 

OTS- Call Me Maybe? in 2022, please.

Hey! I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number… so change the station and stop singing this song because it is extremely over played and annoying! is what the majority of us are saying when Carly Rae Jepsen blares through our speakers. More than likely, we’ve heard this song north of 100 times this summer, whether it be through a local radio station or by parody on YouTube. And yet, no one remembers the summer anthem of last summer. Or the summer before. Or the summer of 2002 when “Hot in Herre” by Nelly was the song on repeat. Both songs were chart toppers, but why is Jepsen’s 2012 claim to fame more widely known? It is because of the Internet, and more blatantly, YouTube. It is amazing at how quickly technology has changed the music industry in the past decade. Nelly gained his popularity the old fashioned way, performing at concerts and selling albums. There was no lip synching in front of a camera in his day, heck, his hit missed out on millions of views as YouTube wasn’t created until 2005. How sad is that. Someone who has worked just as hard has been overshot by a cutsie- pop- star whose tune is basically the hymn of our nation’s radio, or moreover, our nation’s social life.

Why do we give credit to the artist who has more cyber views than actual performances? Will our constant use of technology and advancement in social media keep calling us maybe in years to come? I don’t know, but, it’s getting hot in herre.

Reading, and swimming

There is one inevitable element about reading, and that is the ability to bring people together. It is the basis of human communication and inspiration for our ideas. And how inspired am I, you may ask? Quite honestly, reading seems like more of a chore than a communication element, but that is solely because I have not put much time or effort into my reading life. Sure, Facebook and text messaging counts as “reading”, but everyone reads in that sense. I am not delving into the countless pages of literature like a young mind should. I am more of a “read only when it is necessary for school” or “I’d never be caught dead in a library” type of reader. I feel bad that I haven’t put much time into becoming literate this way. Fortunately, I have the chance to change that.

This class is my window of opportunity to get my feet wet in the world of reading. My goals for this class are to set aside quality time for reading and to actually enjoy it. Not the, only 15 more pages to go and my English homework will be done, kind of time. But time where I can look beyond the words on the page and swim the seas of inspiration.