The Sound of Music in Open Car Windows

Ahhh – warm weather. Ahhh – 5 second parties passing me by. As I sit waiting for grandkids to get out of school, I get glimpses into how these other drivers might be feeling at that specific moment. And suddenly I feel the same. We are actually connected.

It doesn’t take but an instant for our bodies to inhale and react to any music. Once it goes through our ears, music has free-reign – igniting our feelings, triggering memories – just taking us to different emotional places. Zap – I hear gospel and instantly feel inspiration, hope and resolve. Zap – booming rap and the beat pounds in my own body and I feel my own agency and a bit of rebellion. Country? A little heartache – with a dose of resolve.

For that quick moment I am with them. And perhaps that’s one of the reasons why we all get such a lift when we drive open-windowed. It can be like an invitation – an irresistible invitation – to join in.

It can also be a statement about our identity – letting the world know who we are – operating a bit like a cologne. It’s a public statement that precedes actual contact. Social radar.