Those Aha! Moments of Discovery
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118365)
Gainesville, Florida
August 4, 2020 6:31am CST
A couple of weekends ago, the kids and I were doing some organizing and cleaning of the house. We pulled out some boxes that were shoved under the bed in the spare bedroom, and discovered all of my old CDs. There's about 300 of them, and I forgot I had them. I told the kids I should put them in the attic or something since I didn't have a CD player to play them on. "Sure you do, dad" my son said. "You can play them in the Blu Ray/DVD player." Aha! moment number one. So I moved all my CDs out to the living room.
This past weekend, I was doing some cleaning and rearranging in my living room, and I decided to move the record player my daughter bought me 3 years ago. As I went to pick it up, I noticed a slot on the side of the record player. "What's this?" I asked. Upon further inspection, I discovered it's a cassette player. A cassette player people! Does anyone even have cassettes anymore? Aha! moment number two. So now my record player, which also has AM/FM radio on it, also has a cassette player. Mind blown.
But it gets even better! When I set the record player in it's new location and plugged it back in, I took a close look at the front of it for the first time since I got it three years ago. And guess what? It has a CD player! How in the world did I have that unit for three years and never notice that? Talk about clueless. Well, Aha! moment number three!
So now the kids have been playing all of my old CDs, discovering all of the music I enjoyed back in my younger years. I have to laugh at myself for being so blind all these years not to notice all of the features on my record player. But I loved having those Aha! moments.
Have you had any Aha! moments lately?
47 people like this
45 responses
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
4 Aug 20
That is some record player - everything you'd ever need!
Hubs cleaned out his office, and we redecorated it last month. We found ALL my old CDs in a hidden box. Both kids left all their CDs here and things to play them in. I even have a cassette player. lol
My aha moment was discovering a load of Stephen King books in my younger son's bookcase. When I finish reading Valerie's books, I will read those that I missed.
5 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
Oh my goodness! I love Stephen King. I have a full bookshelf of all his works. I hope you like his writing style and genre.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
@DianneN That reminds me that I need to go on Amazon and order her next book!
4 people like this
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
4 Aug 20
@moffittjc I've read a few of his books years ago. I read all of hub's Grisham books now. Those I love! First comes Valerie's books. That's my priority now.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
There are businesses out there that you can take your old VCR cassettes to and they will digitize them for you. I need to do that as well, as I have a lot of old videos I recorded on videotape that I need to convert to a digital format.
3 people like this
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
6 Aug 20
@moffittjc That's an idea but I'll probably never do it. I should give mine to someone who would take the time and trouble to get them done.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
8 Aug 20
@moffittjc Probably. I've said for years that I'm going to find a place to make pictures from my old negative and I have asked around but haven't searched enough to find anyone that does the work yet..
2 people like this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
4 Aug 20
That is good that your kids are interested in the old audio technology. I still have my cassette player that I have to use it once in a while for testing.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
Somewhere in my house, I know I still have a few of my old music cassettes. I'd like to dig them out and play one for the kids so they can see how technology used to be. They are already fascinated by vinyl records, so wait until they see a cassette tape!
2 people like this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
4 Aug 20
@moffittjc half of my compositions are in cassette so I have to copy it to digital format.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
@Alexandoy I got rid of most of my cassettes when I ended up buying CDs. But I remember last time I moved about 4 years ago that I came across a box that still had some cassettes in it. So I'm hoping I can find that box somewhere in the house.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
It makes me feel good to be able to share with my kids the music I grew up listening to. And it's nice that they not only appreciate that music, but actually enjoy listening to it.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Aug 20
@just4him I think it's great too. Because that means I get to enjoy that music all over again each and every time they listen to my CDs or records. Plus, we all know that our music is way better than any music being put out today.
1 person likes this
@just4him (305561)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc That's great they love the music you grew up with.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76477)
• Germany
4 Aug 20
I love those Aha moments. We don´t have a CD record player anymore here as we send it to my Philippines home. Now I discovered that we still have music CDs here. I think I will buy a Blu Ray/DVD player to play them all. Looking at the photo, I remember that we still have old long play vinyl records and player on the corner of our living room. No more needle for the record player. I hope I can still buy it online. I think I have to clean our cellar to find some Aha moments. I am sure those things I am looking inside the house are there in the packages in the cellar.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
Records players are very trendy right now, so I think if you look online you should be able to find a needle for your record player.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Aug 20
@thelme55 Yes, here in the US record players have become very popular again. It must be for that sense of nostalgia.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76477)
• Germany
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc Really? They are in again? That is great. I´ll tell my husband. He should be the one who should look for that needle online. Thanks for the info.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
4 Aug 20
i ran to check my record player, but it is just a record player. I did check my toaster but it only heats the CD up it won't play them!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
You mean you don't have one of those trendy new toasters that plays music while it cooks your toast? lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
@DocAndersen Now that would be awesome if our toasters could print the day's weather forecast! Or maybe print messages of affirmation for our loved ones.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc i have a darth vader toaster.
I wanted one that printed today's weather on the toast but my wife said the toaster or the rest of my stuff, I could choose.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61952)
• United States
4 Aug 20
They’re discovering that what we’re telling them is true: our music really was better.
A-Ha moment? Only when I heard “Take On Me” last week. 
2 people like this
@FourWalls (61952)
• United States
4 Aug 20
@moffittjc — one of my ulterior motives for this 40-year-old and 50-year-old countdown list. 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
My kids have known for a long time that our music was better. They will not argue with me about it either. They know.
Take On Me is the only song I know from A-Ha.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (94806)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Aug 20
No aha moments. But I know I have a few cassettes here. One is AC/DC Back in Black
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
I have Back in Black on CD and on vinyl. My kids love listening to the record. They say the "scratchiness" sound of records makes the music sound better. I agree.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
@wolfgirl569 So even though I have Back in Black on CD, they prefer listening to the record. I like the record better too.
2 people like this
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc Oh but all the memories are surly worth it I'm sure.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
@gr8nana6 Definitely worth it. Even those those memories were many decades ago, when I hear the music it makes me think it was only yesterday.
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
I sure have a lot of them to go through and listen to. It's going to take me a while.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (73241)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5 Aug 20
No such moments here, Glad your kids can now hear all that music. I left all my records and cassettes with my stepdaughter in Latvia. I only took my videos and I have a player for them,
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (73241)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 Aug 20
@moffittjc I have a long Favorites list on YouTube that is a mix of all my oldies, other genre music, and Latvian music. Occasionally for oldies, I listen online to Off-Shore Music Radio.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
Do you still like to listen to music? And if so, what's your preferred method now of listening to music?
1 person likes this
@amitkokiladitya (171936)
• Agra, India
4 Aug 20
Omg...that was pure good luck and excitement as well
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
Exciting that I figured it out, but frustrating that I had it all along and didn't know it.
2 people like this
@amitkokiladitya (171936)
• Agra, India
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc yes .I can feel how you must have felt.
1 person likes this
@Spontaneo (14703)
• United States
4 Aug 20
We cleaned out our basement recently and found boxes of dinnerware we did not know we even had! Some were a country theme. Some were of a fruit theme. They were very heavy. Guess who had to haul them upstairs? 
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
What are you going to do with all that dinnerware you found?
Sorry you had to lug all that up the stairs.
2 people like this
@Spontaneo (14703)
• United States
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc Former dinnerware tucked away in spare cabinets. "New" dinnerware placed where we can just reach into regular cabinets. We have no more room!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
That's right, I remember you talking about those cards you found.
2 people like this
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
6 Aug 20
@moffittjc Yes, a bittersweet moment for sure.
1 person likes this
@jvicentevalera (13671)
• Santiago, Chile
4 Aug 20
Please tell me you have a record by Madonna! Lol I'm kidding If i were you I'd listen to all my CDs so all those old memories are relived once again!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
Believe it or not, I do not have any old Madonna CDs. But I did have some of her music on the old cassette tapes.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (169643)
• United States
4 Aug 20
CD's were nice, too bad they are old hat now with the advent of digital music. They were prone to scratches though.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
I've already come across a few that have scratches on them. Not quite the same as when a vinyl record has a scratch on it. lol
2 people like this
@Tina30219 (81539)
• Onaway, Michigan
4 Aug 20
Wow you have had a lot of aha moments lately but most of them were good news
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
I sure did have a lot of Aha! moments. I hope that's all I have for now, as it was definitely enough.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
They have definitely been rocking the old school tunes. And they love it.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48890)
• United States
4 Aug 20
Well those are really cool aha moments. I actually still have my cassettes and I have a 8-tracks 
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
My kids know what cassettes look like, because they were still around when they were little, but they have no idea what 8-tracks look like or how they work. I tried explaining it to them. It would be cool to actually show them one, but I don't have any.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40425)
• United States
5 Aug 20
No, but your moments were entertaining.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Aug 20
I'm glad that I was able to provide you some quality entertainment! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Aug 20
It was right there in front of me the entire time and I never noticed.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325385)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Aug 20
@moffittjc That sounds like a remark Vince would make when I find something he hasn't been able to !!
2 people like this
