A shout out to country music

When you have kids you pay really close attention to the words played on the radio.  Especially because you know they are.  It's quite normal for me to hear, "What does that mean, Mom?"  

My kids begged over the spring/summer to hear their new favorite pop station (that they got to know thanks to the school bus ride).  It began to get painful (the music and the begging).  I had to change the channel a lot and hope other songs were over their heads.  I mean the majority of them are fil-thy.

We took a trip this summer and the kids and I were gone for two weeks.  I loved not hearing the begging for the radio and I loved not listening to/monitoring it.

Our return to Wisconsin marked a new beginning.  When the "Turn the radio on to 99.1 the mix!!" began I simply said I was tired of the songs and their messages.  And that was that, no more.

Occasionally I'll turn on my country station, usually when Abby is desperate and hoping to hear a Taylor Swift song.  Well heavens to Betsy. We listened to 4 or 5 songs in a row that were clean and had sweet messages.

Like, loving the view from "my front porch looking in" because I love my wife and kids so much.  This, my kids noticed, asked about, and liked.

And when the kids asked me during the next song, "What's that about?"  I told them it was about a Dad who took his little girl fishing for the day--they talked and laughed and bonded--just what the Dad was hoping for.  The little girl doesn't think about the meaning behind the trip, so the Dad sings, "She thinks we're just fishin'."  Andrew replies, "Oh, that's cool."

So, here's my shout:  Country Music, I know you have songs about tequilla making your clothes fall off and checking a girl for ticks (hello!), I know you still sing about lying, cheating, and drinking.  But when I can turn you on and hear far more songs about  family, friendship, love, our country, faith, and happy relationships than anywhere else, I say YEEEEEHAW!!