I used to be cool

I used to be cool.

While my formative years were spent in geekish pursuits such as listening to heavy metal, playing Dungeons & Dragons and reading comic books, (which are all considerably cooler pursuits these days), I hit my cool stride in my 20’s. It was during that time that my musical taste and collection had earned me street cred among all the cool people. I listened to artists and bands years before most of my friends heard of them. I’d gone from high school outcast to the cool go-to guy for all music related questions.

Want to know what that cool trip hop song in the commercial was? I’m your guy. Want to create the PERFECT mix tape for any occasion, I’m your guy!
I was like some revered character from the movie, High Fidelity. I took this honor seriously and cultivated it, reading and listening to anything I could get my hands on, always staying on the cutting edge of what was cool.

Somewhere along the way, I began to lose that coolness.

With marriage and adult responsibilities (read: bills). I couldn’t keep up with the ever-evolving music scene. Even if I could, who was left to impress? I’d moved away from my friends and all the cool indie record stores. I am now married and don’t need to impress women with my musical knowledge anymore (not that any were ever that impressed to begin with). Despite all this, I still listen to cool music, and like to think I still have a sense of what all the “cool kids” are listening to. I’d check this against MTV if the channel ever played music videos.

Recently, though, something happened which convinced me that I’m holding onto a fading past and I am in fact, no longer cool.

The realization came the other day, in the shower oddly enough, when I found myself singing (…brace yourself…) a Veggie Tales song! (I shuddered a bit as I typed that)

Somewhere, the Music Gods are demanding that I turn in my music collection.

Before you start thinking that this was some voluntary transition, it wasn’t.

My indoctrination to the stylings of the friendly singing vegetables with a wholesome Christian message came via my 16 month old son, who absolutely loves listening to their CD in the car. Try as I might to avoid it, over time, the songs GOT INTO MY HEAD!

Please Doctor, you MUST get it out!!

My slide away from Coolsville started innocently enough with me humming along to the Veggie Tales CD while driving. Gradually, I the humming turned into actual singing. I told myself that I was singing along because my son enjoys daddy’s singing. However, I have absolutely no excuse for singing Veggie Tales songs in the shower, though.

So, if you have a question about what’s cool in music these days, ask someone else; someone younger. I have forfeited the right to be known as That Guy. I am consigned to the fact that I will never be cool again. I am now a Veggie-Tales singing dorky dad.

Well, at least one person still thinks I’m cool; my son. And I’ll take that over all the street cred in the world any day of the week.

Besides, it won’t be long before he is listening to some outrageous music that I’m just not cool enough to “get.”