104.5

When I was younger, I always had a hard time falling asleep. I'd lay in bed for an hour or two thinking, daydreaming, just waiting to fall asleep. I think it was middle school/junior high when I discovered Star 104.5 on the radio. After 7pm, they had "Between the Sheets": a bunch of love songs that was perfect for a hopeless romantic, teenage girl, always crushing on someone, wondering when the man of her dreams would come. I loved my time before bed. I would go to bed early just to make sure I had plenty of time to just lay there. The last time I remember listening to Between the Sheets was my freshman year of college. Occassionally, when Sarah wasn't around or when she didn't mind the sappiness, I would listen to my favorite love songs. But then it stopped. Star 104.5 was no more and Betweeen the Sheets was gone.

104.5 has gone through a few owners over the years. I haven't really been able to listen to them much. However, a couple of years ago, 104.5 became Sunny 104.5. They prided themselves on being a radio station that the whole family could listen to and mom and dad didn't have to worry about a questionable song coming up. They were okay. I had them preset in my car, but I didn't spend much time with them, especially in the winter. The first week of November they started playing Christmas music and they played nonstop Christmas music for the entire months of November and December. The best part of the station was after they gave the weather forecast, they always said, "and remember: here it's always Sunny 104.5"

It's been a while since I've listened to the radio. When I do listen to the radio, it's in the car. However, the last five months, I haven't driven in the car much by myself and we usually listen to CDs. Today, however, was a new experience for me. I was coming back from the church and I was driving Timmy's car. That meant, none of my CDs. I just searched through Timmy's preset stations and the usual stations I check for, but nothing. So I went to go see what was on Sunny 104.5. And as so many times before, it was gone. This time, however, I was startled and confused. What's this? Did I switch to the AM dial somehow? For those of you who don't know, Sunny 104.5 is now "Rumba 104.5, Orgullo Latino," Philadelphia's first ever full market Spanish FM station.

And I confess: I like it...a lot.

For as many ethnic issues that I may have and for as "white" as I may be in my heart, two things always tell the truth of my latin blood: the food and the music. I start to salivate at just the thought of rice and beans. I feel kind of bad, but as much as I love my family, the real reason I love our get-togethers is the food. I know that even a picnic at a public park, there will be rice and beans. And the music: what can I say? I have no rhythm, but when I hear the beats of latin percussion, I start to sway and move and in my mind, I'm going crazy.

That's all I have to say...