Flying back from Taipei, I listen to a remixed track from an 80s Italian synth-pop group. Everything has been slowed down so the young, lithe male voices now sound like those of large, Eastern European babushkas. The downtempo beat enhances the image of a very drunken polka night held in an open field. I am listening for the lyrics mostly, which are in English with a slight accent. I imagine babushkas arm in arm, swaying side to side, kicking up their heels, lamenting the bygone good old days, but celebrating the wisdom they now have.
I was born in a small place,
All the towns are far here.
But if you run through the green fields,
Maybe you can find all what you need!
Remembering today -
Visions of old days!
Discovering today -
The secrets of my age!
I am not a babushka but lately I do feel like I was born in a small place. And, I do think, if you run through the green fields, you can find all what you need. I have also been remembering, today, visions from old days. And, yes, I have been discovering, today, the secrets of my age. That’s got nothing to do with skincare, not in the way that I interpret it. I’d say it’s more about getting to know yourself and the things that have accumulated over the years, invisible patterns that shape your behavior and thoughts without you even knowing. I think that’s what the babushkas are singing about. They are celebrating. They finally see the secrets of their age.
Remembering today -
Visions of old days!
Discovering today -
The secrets of my age!
The babushkas won’t stop dancing. Please send help.