Music is by far the most intense memory trigger for me. It is such a part of my life that I have a difficult time separating a particular song from a specific memory. Right now, I'm reliving my teen years with REO Speedwagon. Man, those days were really so innocent. After being in and out of relationships, going through divorce and having children I've come to realize I've lost touch with how innocence feels; even the worst pain then, can make me smile now.
And it's those kind of recollections that make me want to bottle the way I feel right now. So totally close to euphoric, it can't be healthy ;) My cheeks are aching from the constant grinning every time another oldie-but-goodie comes on Spotify. Life really was less complicated then.
Now, I sit here wondering how to string words together to relay the train of thought I have going on in my head, only to sit, fingers hovering above the keyboard as I'm mesmerized by the sound of Styx (specifically Paradise Theatre) and Supertramp. My god the soundtrack of my life is freakin' incredible! How on earth is it possible to have a shitty day when the secret to a great mood seems to be delving into the past for GREAT music? Duh!
Guys have nothing on this music. I mean, I don't ever hear a guy's voice or see someone I once dated and get all nostalgic and permagrinned. No awesome memories are triggered or dreamy looks come over me as I listen to or look at them. Music is by far the better companion; at least on a stroll down memory lane.
Dates, events, quiet nights at home are all made better and more memorable when music is involved. When I hear Live's "Lightening Crashes" my pregnancy with my first son immediately comes to mind. Not just a mental flashback; my whole body remembers the amazing gift of carrying that life and I tear up, overcome with intense joy.
Smash Mouth's "Walking on the Sun" and P.O.D. "Boom" are nearly always accompanied by the underlying echoes of my sons singing along in the backseat of the car. And yes, there are songs that remind me of particular people; Bon Jovi's "Runaway" and Whitesnake's "Still of the Night" are forever tied to my best friend, Christine. When I hear "Your Love" by The Outfield my mind reflects an ex-boyfriend/still-friend Mike, and "Somebody That I Use to Know" by Gotye brings on those 'thankfully I dodged that bullet' relief concerning a painful, yet necessary break-up.
Were I to jot down a list of songs and the memories or people I associate with them, I might be here for days. There are those songs that just bring me back to a season, a moment or a period in time, and those that are timeless and envelope my entire life thus far. I would be bereft without music. It fuels my creativity, intensifies and clarifies experiences and preserves memories I might otherwise have forgotten.
Music is my truest, longest lasting love.
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