Back in the high life again

It was the summer of 1992 and I found myself driving my black Honda Civic through Northern Arkansas with my kid sister, Whitney. I was 18 at the time, and she was 12. My parents and sister, Erica followed in a car behind us. The Arkansas trees had started their progression towards fall, the world was full of yellow, greens and red.

My family was driving me to college at the University of Missouri. They were dropping me off. I hadn't been west of Atlanta, GA my whole life, and here I was in Norther Arkansas considering the leaves and the dawn of a new chapter in my life.

I didn't think about it much at the time, but Steve Winwood's song "Back in the High Life" came on the radio. Now I'm not some geek for Steve Winwood. Don't own an album, haven't purchased anything from Itunes. Its good stuff though, if it comes on the radio, I'll listen. I guess he's like Bob Seger. If the moments right, then Steve and Bob are your men.

I remember hearing the song, and thinking, that some time soon and perhaps often, I would be with my sister Whitney, and my family again. And that these moments would be plentiful.

As I have aged, as I have put roots down in a strange place for some here in Iowa, with no family within the state, I have learned these times to spend back in the high life are slim. My sister Whitney now lives in Hawaii, my sister Erica in Boston. They both finished highshool, finished college, have found the love of their lives and are both pregnant. They did that all without their big brother. My patents still live in South Florida which basically means we are about as far away from each other as we can be, yet still very close to one another.

I heard "Back in the High Life" on the way home from work on Thursday and it all came crashing back. I instantly called Whitney when the song ended. I didn't tell her about the song, I just wanted to hear her voice, to be close even though we are far.

I know that soon, she and I, and my family will have these high life moments again, maybe even in person. They just aren't as often as they should be. Stop reading this and call someone, or better yet, visit someone you love.

I think all of us can find something meaningful with what Winwood accomplished here. Here are the lyrics

It used to seem to me
That my life ran on too fast
And I had to take it slowly
Just to make the good parts last
But when youre born to run
Its so hard to just slow down
So dont be surprised to see me
Back in that bright part of town

Ill be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Ill be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched me once will smile and take me in

And Ill drink and dance with one hand free
Let the world back into me
And on Ill be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

You used to be the best
To make life be life to me
And I hope that youre still out there
And youre like you used to be
Well have ourselves a time
And well dance til the morning sun
And well let the good times come in
And we wont stop til were done

Well be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Well be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in
And well drink and dance with one hand free
And have the world so easily
And oh well be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

Well be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Well be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in
And well drink and dance with one hand free
And have the world so easily
And oh well be a sight to see
Back in the high life again