So, I’m in Walmart with Jen getting groceries yesterday. Yeah, I entertain the boys while she gets our stuff. Anyway, I’m walking back from the camping section and I walk past the CD’s that are parked in the aisle where they hope innocent passers by will be sucked in for a quick kill – I mean sale.
The title, “Hits of the 80’s” catches my eyes. Yes, you’re grinning right now because you know it too; all the greatest music was written in the eighties. So I pick it up and look at the back. “Yeah…yeah…yeah.” Yes, these are all hits. It’s a 4-CD collection! 50 songs! Great songs! How much? $8.82!?!? Sweet! In the cart.
A few minutes later I’m standing in the checkout lane with Jen. She sees it. “What’s this?” Fortunately she knows that all the best music came from the eighties too, so she picks it up and checks it out instead of sending me straight back to the media aisle. I ask, “What?” She looks over the songs and says, “Well, I just wanted to make sure they were really hit songs and not just a bunch of junk songs nobody’s ever heard.” I explained that I was using my birthday money, so we put it on the belt.
Next scene. We’re at home unpacking the groceries and I just can’t wait to check out my new find. I unwrap it; this hidden treasure from Wally-World. (I am ashamed to admit it but I do have a thing for Wal-Mart – because of deals like this.) So, I’m reading through the list of songs and I see one that I am not familiar with. I look after the song to see who performs it and…
It all happened so fast. I suddenly realized that the songs didn’t have the names of performers after them. I shout, “Oh no!”. Jen says, “What?”. I say, I think I know why this was such a great ‘deal’”.
Yup, we were duped. I look at the bottom of the box and it says, “Performed by Countdown”. Who the heck is that? The first CD is in my laptop being ripped to my I-Tunes, so I turn it up and to my horror, it’s worse than I thought. The skill level of “Countdown” is seriously questionable and the songs aren’t even the original arrangements. It was like the time I snuck into the cupboard when I was a little kid and took a big bite out of the bar of baker’s chocolate my mom had told me not to eat. Well, at least I have my shopping done for the next white elephant gift exchange.
What a let-down. I wanted to take it back, but it was already unwrapped. I wonder how many MIA new believers and seekers have had a similar experience when they heard and embraced the gospel, then decided it would be great to spend time hanging out with Christ-followers. Maybe after hanging with those who should be just like what they heard and fell in love with, they feel duped. It makes me think, “How’s my tune?” When others “listen” to my life, what do they hear? Do I sound like Countdown or do they hear the “original artist”? Hmmmmm. By the way, anyone want to buy some “Hits of the 80’s”?
