I so clearly remember the summer of American Idol’s debut. I rushed into our office the next day as giddy as a sixteen-year old with a new driver’s license. One of the coolest things about the show is it reminded me how much I loved to sing. I’m not at all claiming I am a great singer, but growing up I enjoyed it to my bones. And like any pure entertainer I had favorites to “perform” while washing dishes or bagging leaves in the yard as a teen. Don’t scoff. My musical sets could include nursery rhymes, Christmas songs and Motown. My performance game was tight. Probably one of my favorite singers to mimic while getting our dishes squeaky clean was Natalie Cole. “This will be… an everlasting love!” In my later teen years I used all my breathing skills to mimic the vocal gymnastics of Teena Marie in Portuguese Love. We authors love remembering stuff that made us feel deeply or had an impact on us. Thank you, Idol. And good luck to all the fine young singers who took their performances beyond their bedrooms, showers or kitchen sinks and moved one step closer to make their dreams come true. Congratulations!

So, do you have a favorite song you like to belt out even if no one is looking? Go on. Share with me.