Martina McBride - "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden"

This week, guest blogger Lori Bargeron writes about 5 Celebrity encounters where she works, at Bobbie's Dairy Dip in Nashville, Tennessee.

Throughout the tabloid age, we have nosed ourselves into the lives of celebrities making their business our business in a way that could be innocent or could be creepy depending on your own perspective. But none of that is more apparent than now, when information is so readily available through the likes of the Internet Movie DataBase or Wikipedia -- dare I neglect to mention the "straight from the horse's mouth" appeal of Twitter or Facebook.

Not only have we taken an interest in our favorite stars, we have "friended" them -- giving us the ultimate in transference of emotion. We can actually communicate with them beyond the realm of any fan club. Not only are they a part of our daily lives, ohmygosh! We could be a part of their lives!

So here's where it's weird for me. I work in a job where I get to see many children grow up. Year after year, families come for ice cream all summer long, and I witness the all after-effects of a winter of babies learning to walk or boys' voices cracking or girls starting to wear make-up. I feel special to be a part of their lives, to be a spectator in their maturation. I feel like I know them, that I've experienced their special moments along with them.

The first time I saw country singer Martina McBride at the Dairy Dip, she was pregnant. That had to have been 3 or 4 years ago. The next time I saw her, she had had an adorable baby. The time after that, toddlers-ville. When telling the "a celebrity came to my restaurant" story, I always remark on how impressed I am with how lovely and well-mannered her children are or how charmingly goofy her husband is. Every time, I feel like I gain more and more of a sense of knowing them. It makes me feel special.

So I guess, what I'm posing is, why do we care so much with celebrities do normal things like eat hamburgers or have children who grow up? Why do I feel so lucky to witness the McBride children's growth into young adulthood? Are they any different than my favorite students at the Catholic school two blocks away?

Martina sings some songs about growing older, but what I want to share with you today is a cut from her record "Timeless," on which she sings all classic country hits. It fits right in to our aesthetic at Bobbie's, where we play songs of all genres, but only from the 1950s-60s (and some ‘70s when we feel like it).