Reminiscing is something I used to be so good at. I have posted before, I think, about my vanishing ability to be nostalgic. It's one of those things... getting older... blah blah blah (is anyone sensing the irony here in these first few lines?).
Music has a way of cutting through that accumulated layer of callus. I had a moment the other day when a random song I hadn't heard in a while brought things back. Back to my days at community college circa '97. The song was off that dog's Retreat From the Sun--an album I don't listen to that much anymore. It brought back that fearless, carefree, lust-for-life, love-for-girlfriend, who-cares-about-school feeling that only 19-year-olds can feel.
The remembrance of that attitude helps contextualize and screen the memories that I am about to shuffle through. The most important thing for me then wasn't education, it wasn't school, it was music, it was my not-yet-then-but-three-years-later-to-be wife. So my thoughts here are of the 10-years-ago-looking back variety (and, apparently the super-long-hyphenated adjective variety too).
Let's do it this way. What is good about community college:
It's affordable for a large majority of...
You know what? I don't have this in me right now. Tina and I are watching "Dan in Real Life" and it is much too silly and sweet to be slogging through the virtues/verisimilitudes of the modern Jr. college.
How about a survey of songs that make you remember...anyone?
tina can appreciate this- i heard 'hold on' by wilson phillips a few weeks ago and it made me think of our peoria days and going to rocky point and camping on the beach. i can almost smell the ocean now....
ReplyDeleteCursive's The Ugly Organ (whole album) and Bright Eyes Digital Ash/I'm Wide Awake remind me of my summer in zion.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Eat World's Futures - I am 19 and wish I was on a mission yesterday.
Weezer's Pinkerton - High school, will I ever go on a date with a girl? (this album applies right now in the same way more than I'd like to admit.)
changing locations can help to fix a song to a temporal moment.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Bird's Armchair Apocrapha and Radiohead's In Rainbows will always (I would gander) remind me of our first year in Champaign.
Death Cab's Transatlanticism reminds me of our trip in '04(?) to Seattle to visit Michelle.
Sufjan's Illinois of my last year a ASU.
The Pumpkins's Adore (especially To Sheila) and Ben Folds Five's final studio album of the weeks after I returned from SF (Summer '99)--especially the beautiful drive between M's gig on the Ranch and Laramie.
I could go on... Loving Bon Iver(Thanks Wendy!) and Grizzly Bear right now.
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ReplyDeleteDaniel by Elton John- driving to Show Low with friends to see a movie in high school!
ReplyDeleteRock the Boat by Hues Corporation- spending a week at U of A the summer before my senior year attending Girls State.
Boz Skaggs & James Taylor- Dad and I dating in college.
American Pie by McLean- driving to Mesa with my brother Bob trying to furiously scribble down the words so he could learn it.
Alone Again Naturally by Gilbert O'Sullivan & Tapestry by Carole King- the first 2 record albums I ever owned.
Joy to the World by 3 Dog Night- my sister Pam's first album.
Anything Chicago- stake dances in high school.
This is fun but I won't bore you anymore! Does anyone recognize them?
Mom
At my age there are literally hundreds of songs that trigger memories and nostalgia. But I will mention only a couple of time frames... Pretty much any early 70's Deep Purple and Steely Dan as I was playing that music in the band "Zedekiah" and living the bohemian life. The other is Fleetwood Mac's late 70's release "Rumors" (I think there were something like 8 #1 singles from that record). My friend Stan and I were working the graveyard shift alone at a small company called "Measurement Science" in Provo. We would be giggling uncontrolably (sleep deprived-induced, no doubt) till we couldn't breathe. We didn't work there long. -Dave
ReplyDeleteborn to be wild for sure w&j's theme
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