I.M.O.T.Y. 1996
"Runaway"
- Janet Jackson
It was a little over a month after I first discovered brother Michael's song Scream
that Janet Jackson's memorable song Runaway came along. Talk about exact timing,
almost too coincedental to be taken seriously. I had just returned from a 9 day vacation
in beautiful Marco Island, Flodira where I had time to stop and take 9 days to reflect on
my life and goals without outside pressures. I had time to read while on a deck chair in
the sun. I could take walks on the beaches whose blue waters extended all the way to a
point where they met the sky as if painted by an artist who took detail in portraying a
sunset only fit for paradise. I got to see how a well invested life can treat those who
made goals and had achieved them.
I also took the time to carefully read a book called Emotional Intelligence
prescribed by some good family friends. I had been questioning my self-confidence and this
book helped to outline how to be aware of one's emotions, thus helping with confidence. I
found that the right balance of time, life, family, good experiences, and a lot of sun
helped me to become more perceptive of my surroundings. White sandy beaches full of exotic
shells and sealife that I had never seen before. The weather was sub-tropical, the sun out
every day, and always had a deck chair by the pool.
So after all of this, how do you remember it all? A song of course. So the day after
returning home from Marco Island, I was still pumped up when Janet's Runaway came
on the radio and actually made me stop what I was doing and sit down. The major chords
floated me through each beat accented by a voice so innocent and soft, I couldn't help but
smile. The music is what attracted me at first, but what was Janet talking about? Running
away, kind of like how I ran away to Marco. Well, I had the CD the next day and feel in
love with a song that inspired me musically and personally. The music, carefully mixed
with Janet's gentle voice and harmonious backup (which is also her) easily mesmorizes the
listener. You can practically see the smile on her face when you listen to her singing.
It was tough choosing which song would get the honor of 'SINGLE OF THE YEAR', but after
listening to Runaway a few times, it brought back the sunset over the Gulf,
listening to everyone clap as the last tip of the sun dips below the horizon until
tomorrow, when it all happens again. And that was only one of numerous memories to choose
from. I had trouble at first giving the award to a 'Pop/Top 40' song, but found it hard to
resist the 'Marco Island Mentality' the song brought back. Janet Jackson best describes
why 'No Pain, No Gain!' was on my fridge all year. I had to work hard at what needed to be
done to achieve goals, that's it. The rewards were getting to Runaway to paradise
again just by listening to a song...
I.M.O.T.Y. 1996
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©1997 Published by Thompson
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