I Love Rock n’ Roll

I love rock n’ roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n’ roll
So come an’ take your time an’ dance with me

I was driving when this song came on the radio today and immediately brought me back to freshman year of college.

Jackie, my roommate, and I were very different.  She was messy, I was organized.  She was a night owl, I was in bed by 10 most weeknights.  She was a procrastinator, I got things done early.  She was a science nerd, I was more of a psychology person.  She enjoyed noise while she worked, I did not.  Even with all of these differences we still got along great.  We balanced each other out.

Somehow (I really wish I remembered) we got into a routine of taking a study break and singing and dancing to this song.  I mean full out dancing…hairbrushes in hand singing, standing on chairs dancing.  Sometimes we would even have an audience because our door was always open!  I’m sure it was her idea, not mine!  But it was so fun and a great stress reliever.

One day, while doing our routine a guy from across the hall stopped to watch us.  When the song was over he asked, “would you mind if I video taped you doing this?  You see I have this film class I’m taking and I need a final project.”

I can’t remember what the criteria for the project was but both Jackie and I immediately said “NO!”

The guy was bummed and said “but no one except my professor and myself will see it.  And clearly I’ve already seen it.”  He got us there.

“But what about the final?!  Do you have to present it to your class?” Jackie asked.

“Nope! I just have to turn it in” he replied.  “Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase…help me out.”

Jackie and I looked at each other and agreed to help out a dorm mate.  After all, maybe we would need help from him sometime…lifting something, killing something, or other “guy” things.

I never even saw the edited video but I know we did several takes of it.  Singing, laughing, dancing.

About 2 months later Jackie and I were at a frat party.  We were talking to our friends when “I Love Rock n’ Roll” came on.  Of course we started dancing, some of our friends joined in.  It was nothing like our usual dance but it was our song, how could we not.

The song ended and we were just about to continue to talk to our friends when a cute guy, who I had never seen before (and later found out Jackie hadn’t either), came up to us and said “hey…aren’t you the girls in that music video?  The ones that danced to that song on chairs?”

Jackie and I both turned red!  “Um what?” we both muttered at the same time.

“Yeah.  I’m sure it was you.  A classmate of mine just showed his final project in class and it was 2 girls dancing to that song in their dorm room.  It was great.”

Jackie and I laughed and uncomfortable laugh.  The guy walked away.

“Well, that was unexpected and super embarrassing,” Jackie mumbled next to me.

“I’m sure the class only had about 10 people in it” I said trying to reassure both of us.  “It definitely could be way more embarrassing” I mumbled back still as red as an apple. “Nothing we can do about it now.”

And hey… now it’s a great memory to think of every time I hear

I love rock n’ roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n’ roll
So come an’ take your time an’ dance with me