Music to My Ears

For Hanna, my musical soulmate. We should definitely duet. I have some ideas. P.s. let's not turn on my mic.
I live for music. I experience life primarily through sounds. Last year for Mother's Day Mrs. Duggan asked Beck what I was good at and he said "knowing song lyrics." Sadly, this is what I'm best at and unfortunately I have yet to find a way to parlay that skill into a money making venture. 90% of why I work out is because it is a time when it socially acceptable to have ear phones in. The vast majority or Scripture that I know by heart are ones that are ones that someone has set to music (or the ones I have made up songs to and sing to myself and my kids). I have a song playing in my head at all times, in every situation. To quote my favorite band from the 90's (when they made the very best music ever) "There isn't any place that I need to go/There isn't anything that I need to know/I did not learn from the radio." Thanks, Everclear. You guys get me.  I just flat out love music, all genres, all decades, all of it (although I will admit a long, slow hymn tests my faith like nothing else can).
I hate that I never had any musical training until I was in my 30s (God bless Jim Loyd, guitar hero). I still can't read music and it keeps me from doing things I would like to do with my life, namely I wish I could be a worship leader when I grow up, or play in James Taylor's band. Jesus, I'm certain, loves James, too and He would understand.
When we have listened to French radio here, we can usually find a song or two in English at any given time. Pop seems to be the genre of choice. I hear Charlie Puth a lot. I've heard Meghan Trainor, Demi Lavato and Shakira. I tried keeping a tally in my head of all the times I heard Justin Bieber but lost count in the upper teens about a week in to our stay. This is one thing I have learned about the French - huge Bieber fans (in their defense, his latest single is his best work to date in my opinion). The most surprising thing I heard was Lady Antebellum. Yep, country music was playing in a French subway station. Didn't see that one coming.
For me, France is best summed up, like most things in life, by an Eric Church song. Italy is a Third Day song (Psalm 36). 
I have enjoyed "holding my own" here and I would be heart broken to leave but I know some day, somehow, I will be back. Until then, I am excited to be back in Inola 8 days from now seeing my people. Like Maren Morris sang "When I'm sitting on the couch and I'm looking at the pictures/the background is only a secondary fixture/It's all about the company you keep." Amen.