Baker Street

During our pastor's sermon at church yesterday, he noted that summers can make us feel nostalgic. And with us now just a few days away from the official start of summer, I have been spending a little time thinking of the summers of my youth.

I've talked previously about that pivotal summer of '78.

That was the summer I immersed myself in a three month intensive study to catch up and learn up about modern pop and rock music. 

It was one of those beloved summers before things got busier. None of us could drive or hold part-time jobs. In essence, it was the last summer of childhood before we transitioned into young adults. 

With endless hours to spend, the songs on the radio were the soundtrack for the summer.

None was more prevalent than Gerry Rafferty's hit, Baker Street. Known for its iconic sax solo, Baker Street climbed to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 that summer where it sat for an agonizing six weeks without making it to #1. Always rooting for the underdog, I was hoping my enthusiasm could nudge it up one more spot but, sadly, it was not to be.

Still, I love hearing the song anytime it comes on my Sirius/XM and it is a must-listen.

In literature, of course, Baker Street was home to fictional detective Sherlock Holmes from the works of Arthur Conan Doyle. And, on that rue, you can even find a Sherlock Holmes Museum, among other venues.

Fast forward to the summer of 2014 (gosh, is it possible that was 12 years ago?). Just coming off this year's vacation, I have also been nostalgic about previous getaways.

My family saved up for our first trip abroad with London as the first destination on the itinerary. Because of my love for the song (and awareness of the importance of the thoroughfare), I hoped to pose for a picture with the street sign of the aforementioned artery sometime during our travels. 

As we rode The Tube, we reached the Baker Street stop. Alas, because of ongoing construction, we could not ascend to the aforementioned destination. So, the closest I could come to achieving my goal was a photo at the subway stop.  

Much like the song I referenced earlier, both journeys ended just shy of the finish line.

Maybe there is some wisdom to be gleaned. It's not always bad to be a bridesmaid. It's not awful to win the silver medal. Once, during a lengthy hiring process, we hired the #2 candidate.

One of the Choppers best achievements was to earn a huge third place trophy on a weekend when all the elements lined up against them. And they celebrated to beat the band.

A number two hit on the pop singles chart is no trivial matter. And when the song still gets heavy airplay nearly 50 years later, it's easy to see it is one of the classics. 

JG