The 8 track tape memory of my mind

It's time to celebrate 8 Track Tape Day. Yippee.

Growing up, my music money was invested in records and cassette tapes. I was not a big fan of the 8 track tape era because it seemed like all my favorite songs split between tracks and the actual tapes were more fragile as they seemed to clunk loudly through the player. My mom had a couple dozen 8 tracks she liked to listen to but gave me the unit and tapes a number of years ago. Alas, time has not been kind to the wide strips of magnetic memories.

I got to thinking that the 8 track design is kind of like our memories. The 8 track tape would run continuously, looping until the end of time if we had allowed it, smooth until it reached a limit and cut off our favorite song midway, putting us on hold to continue singing along until it moved to the next track. We all have those pauses in life when we forget something, those frustrating moments when we know we know but the answer, the name, the direction, the step, seem to vanish, and then return like that click of the next track.

And I think it's a sad, but true description of Alzheimer's, dementia and memory loss, when the pause between songs grows longer and eventually the tape breaks without warning … is pieced together temporary at best … and then begins to crumble.

Families may not be able to repair the golden tape within the one they loved, but they can recreate the harmonies of this life to share and pass along for generations to come because the beat of life does go on.