ONCE UPON A TIME -by the Moody Blues

The very first CD I owned was a compilation of hits by the Moody Blues. I didn't buy it though, I stole from my sister. And she didn't buy it either, someone she didn't know at some family reunion gave it to her. At that time we didn't have CD player at our home or a PC, caller ID or microwave.

Years later when I was going away to college I took it from the bottom of one of her dresser's drawers, and put it in the side pocket of my suitcase. Ever since I refer to it as my CD. And I always displayed in a visible place, so that girls could see that I had CDs, well, a CD. One that no one else had seen before. How cool is it to be unique, ah?

Few years down the road I got the chance to play it on a CD player, for the first time, the first time ever. The Moody Blues, I had no idea what that was -there was no internet at that time, therefore I couldn't "Google" it. I played with the proud owner of a CD player standing beside me. "It is kind of slow music, Dude" -I told him when asked what type of music was that. I had no idea, but it was indeed slow music when you're in your very early twenties.

I liked it; liked it very much; so much that I use to wake up with it when I got my very own AIWA Sound System. Beautiful music I have to say. So much that my roommate and best friend took it from me, and told me years later when he was living in Spain finishing his MBA: "Yo! Jean-Francois, I have your CD, man".

One day later on, in a small ceremony he handed me back that CD, "Moody Blues' Hits", my very first CD. Needless to say it was the very first CD that I saw live, and the first one to come into my home. The one closest to my heart.

Before coming to the US, I went back to my home town to spend some time with my parents; to visit again those common places that saw me grow up; to see the friends that I made when we were all pre-pubescent and full of questions and plans; to take one last look at my roots before embarking in what seemed to be like a great adventure.

I took the CD with me and put it right where I took it from so many years ago, at the bottom of that drawer, that very same drawer. My sister was gone, had been gone for years as I had, her room turned into a guest room and the drawer didn't store her clothes anymore. It was empty.

I've just hung up after talking to my family as I do every week, when we share stories and thoughts and good wishes. My sister moved back to our home town not long ago and is living with my parents right now, back in her old room, with her old dresser.

There was a very familiar melody playing in the backgroud tonight when we talked, a melody of a Once Upon a Time . . .