My Golden Oldies List

May 1, 2024 | Brian Parman, Director, The Point & Pavilion

I can remember the thrill of getting my first transistor radio (the one with tin foil attached to the antenna to help get better reception!). If I close my eyes, I can recall what it felt like to have that radio pressed against my ear, blasting out the sweet sounds of the Beach Boys or jamming to the Beatles. Well, guess what! Those tunes, along with many other golden oldies from our youth, are still bringing joy today. That’s the beauty of a true classic – it transcends time and keeps on groovin’!

My Golden Oldies list includes much more than music. It includes memories of being curled in front of the television (in my pajamas) with my family and a big bowl of Frosted Flakes on Saturday mornings. Together, we’d spend hours on a Looney on a Tunes and Merrie Melodies Marathon. Brilliant animation and slapstick humor certainly defined Looney Tunes, but it is impossible to imagine the images on screen without classical music. From “What’s Opera Doc?” to “Rhapsody Rabbit”, Bugs Bunny and company introduced me to the wonders of this classical repertoire.

Once I’d consumed enough sugar, I was up and out of the house on my Big Wheel. I wore out four of these before graduating to my first “real” bike. Remember those cool banana seats? Later I received the ultimate gift of a beautiful 10-Speed Schwinn Racing Bike. Oh how I LOVED the freedom of exploring the world at large on those bikes, mapping out large areas of my neighborhood and the surrounding area trying to “get lost” riding miles from my home. (if my parents only knew!) Sound familiar?

A charity fundraiser cycling event called the Lone Star Ride, reignited my interest in cycling as an adult – some things you just never forget how to do! My TREK hybrid touring bike with a large comfortable seat and traditional handlebars (my days of hunching over are long gone!) helped me to push personal boundaries and complete a 250-mile charity ride in two days – not once, but twice in my life! The ride course was a figure eight covering the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex that started from American Airlines training center at DFW Airport pedaling our way to Justin, Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Desoto, McKinney, Plano, and back. I can still recall the feeling of exhilaration (and a bit of disbelief) when we crested a hill just outside of Texas Motor Speedway, a place that I had visited when I first moved to Texas in 1998. It was a long journey in a car back then. How did I ride my bike there? Even more impressive – how did I keep going? The answer to those questions had everything to do with the spirit, encouragement and camaraderie I experienced with fellow riders and the amazing support team that accompanied us on our journey. One of those riders had a very cool wireless radio shaped like a water bottle that clipped onto her bike frame. Whether it was the soulful sounds of Motown or the rockin’ rhythms of classic rock, I Found the “Golden Oldies” tunes she was broadcasting throughout the entire journey energizing, helping me keep my focus my energy enabling me to keep pedaling to the rhythm of each song.

While my love of cycling is still alive and well, my rides are much gentler, and I dare say, a tad shorter in distance these days. The golden oldies we cherish are more than just memories – they are testaments to the enduring power of simple pleasures, shared experiences, and timeless songs forever engrained in our minds and hearts.

What would make your Golden Oldies List? Why not dust off your record player, put on your dancing shoes, your bike or your favorite board game and get ready to reminisce about the golden oldies that continue to enrich our lives!

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