Memories
Hey guys,
I just finished a book dedicated to teen-aged angst and Led Zeppelin. The author maintains that everyone who loves music had a band that got them through that horrible period where they were stuck in school and stuck at home and were misunderstood by the world at large. For him that band was Led Zeppelin. I started thinking about my band. Did I have one? Was there one band out there that I clung to when I needed to get away from the rest of the world, that spoke to me in a way that no one and nothing else did? I have loved a lot of bands and musicians and songs, but was there one band that stood out during that horrible period that was high school? Jimmy Buffett would be the obvious choice. After all, I have loved his music throughout my entire life.
But after more thought I remembered Guns N' Roses. I went through 2 different cassettes of Appetite for Destruction and it was the first CD I ever owned. I've memorized every word of every song. I paid my sister $40 to get me Use Your Illusion one and two. Slash was my first crush, ever. Now, you would think that these things would stand out in my mind, but GNR is just so much a part of my life that it honestly faded into the background. Like ice cream and Cassie and my favorite flannel shirt the band has always been there and the songs always will be. After a dismal weekend where I was reminded of what a loser people thought I was in high school, and how much I actually cared about that fact the pleasant memories connected to these songs and this band were a good distraction.
Ten years later I don't care quite as much what those posers think of me, but I do care more than I should. The difference between now and then is this. I know that there are people out there that like me for who I am. I know that the little world that was high school is far behind me and I am endlessly grateful for that. At the end of the day I can look at the situation objectively and shrug and say, "Screw 'em" because I know that in no time at all I will leave the dump that is this city and go back to my life where I am wanted and needed. I know that I am not stuck somewhere that I feel useless and left out. Most importantly I know that the only opinion of me that matters is my own. I choose whose opinion counts and whose doesn't, but at the end of the day the only person who has to live with me is me. You know what? I like myself just fine, thank you.
Now, I can't help but be curious about something. Who here remembers their favorite band from when they were young? Leave a comment and let me know. Other than that, have a good weekend and take care of yourselves.
Lark
I just finished a book dedicated to teen-aged angst and Led Zeppelin. The author maintains that everyone who loves music had a band that got them through that horrible period where they were stuck in school and stuck at home and were misunderstood by the world at large. For him that band was Led Zeppelin. I started thinking about my band. Did I have one? Was there one band out there that I clung to when I needed to get away from the rest of the world, that spoke to me in a way that no one and nothing else did? I have loved a lot of bands and musicians and songs, but was there one band that stood out during that horrible period that was high school? Jimmy Buffett would be the obvious choice. After all, I have loved his music throughout my entire life.
But after more thought I remembered Guns N' Roses. I went through 2 different cassettes of Appetite for Destruction and it was the first CD I ever owned. I've memorized every word of every song. I paid my sister $40 to get me Use Your Illusion one and two. Slash was my first crush, ever. Now, you would think that these things would stand out in my mind, but GNR is just so much a part of my life that it honestly faded into the background. Like ice cream and Cassie and my favorite flannel shirt the band has always been there and the songs always will be. After a dismal weekend where I was reminded of what a loser people thought I was in high school, and how much I actually cared about that fact the pleasant memories connected to these songs and this band were a good distraction.
Ten years later I don't care quite as much what those posers think of me, but I do care more than I should. The difference between now and then is this. I know that there are people out there that like me for who I am. I know that the little world that was high school is far behind me and I am endlessly grateful for that. At the end of the day I can look at the situation objectively and shrug and say, "Screw 'em" because I know that in no time at all I will leave the dump that is this city and go back to my life where I am wanted and needed. I know that I am not stuck somewhere that I feel useless and left out. Most importantly I know that the only opinion of me that matters is my own. I choose whose opinion counts and whose doesn't, but at the end of the day the only person who has to live with me is me. You know what? I like myself just fine, thank you.
Now, I can't help but be curious about something. Who here remembers their favorite band from when they were young? Leave a comment and let me know. Other than that, have a good weekend and take care of yourselves.
Lark