Record Memories: Glass Houses

Coming from a family that thrived on records, I remember playing old 78 RPMs as well as the 33 1/3 and 45 RPMs (what diversity, right?)


I remember having no money of my own to buy albums--until I was finally old enough to be allowed to babysit. I scrupulously set aside half of each babysitting job's earnings because there was no way in the WORLD anyone else in my household would be spending money on that (ahem) scandalous (?!?) Billy Joel. (I'm not kidding.)

His Glass Houses album was HUGE that year, and I'd listened to my best friend's copy enough to know every syllable--but I'd have to purchase it on my own: THAT I knew.

Babysitting wages in southern Ashtabula County being what they were in that era, it took a long time to set aside enough. I checked and rechecked the price tag in the record-section of the Hills department store in Saybrook across the weeks, keeping the goal number of dollars and cents in mind.

At long last, one Friday night when I came home from babysitting, enough money filled the little treasure box I'd set aside in the top drawer of my dresser. My out of town grandparents were visiting--and when they heard that I was finally within striking distance of this little dream, they proposed a trip to Hills.

I could barely contain my excitement--and my pride in being able to make this purchase for myself.

I remember trying not to RUN to the record section when we got to the store--half enthralled, half terrified that they would not have the album anymore, or that it would be simply sold out. But there it was: and soon, it would be mine.

When the rest of the crew reassembled at the check out line, Grammy and Gramps stood with me. (I find myself grinning NOW, thinking of how happy I was in that moment.)

When the cashier told me my total, Gramps reached past me to hand her cash for the album.

"NOW you have some money to use for something else you'd like," Grammy explained.

"We are REALLY PROUD of you for working so hard and waiting so long for something you wanted so much," Gramps added.

They even sat with enthralled me, listening to the entire album when we got back to the house.

I learned an awful lot about the practice of loving presence because of that album. Lucky kid, right?