Eight or nine years ago Mary and I were parent chaperones for a high school water polo tournament in San Diego. It meant I got to drive a packed full 15 passenger Ford van around to multiple pools in the maze that is San Diego. Good times, actually.

We were between games and on our way to yet-another-pool when Francie, one of Emily’s teammates, asked if we’d play a CD of some music she’d burned.  She passed the CD to their coach, Aukai Ferguson, who was riding shotgun.

Aukai reluctantly put the CD in the rental van’s CD player. We braced ourselves for some loud, crude rap or other offense to an adult’s ears.

The first song had not been playing for more than 10-15 seconds and Aukai excitedly turned to ask where she’d gotten that CD. To my pleasant surprise, it was actually musical so I was not sure what he was excited about.

Well, Aukai is from Hawaii and Jack Johnson had been the best man at his wedding. They’d grown up together and how in the world did this 17 year old from Beaverton, Oregon  even know about Jack, yet alone have a CD of his music?

Of course, she’d downloaded it from the internet. Jack Johnson’s music had become viral to the internet-aware high schoolers.

And the rest, as they say, is history.