Soundtrack

Music has played an integral part in my life.  I can't think of anyone who hasn't been affected by a song even if they prefer quiet.  This morning as a shot of self-care, I set up the Bluetooth speaker and listened to my Amazon playlist while I showered.  What a difference that made!

The little person of the house, aka The Governor, already has her own taste in tunes.  She also does not like it when I sing and definitely does not like it when I dance.  She has been told but doesn't understand when I was in college, friends and I would go to the Varsity every Thursday night and dance on the front of the stage for hours.  I think it was called "Retro Night", so of course I dressed in-theme wearing seventies and vintage clothes. 

Some songs that have really stuck with me over time and why:

Ingrid Michaelson's "Afterlife" is so appropriate for the current events right now.  I know I discovered her post-college, but I can't remember exactly how or where.

Eliza and the Delusionals is a newly discovered band. The singer is young, but that girl's got some lungs! This would have totally been one of my theme songs when I was dating in my twenties and early thirties - "Just Exist".

Katy Perry's "Wide Awake" is a video and a song that I can watch and listen to over and over to this day.  There are definitely two relationships that this is the theme song for.  While every part of life makes us who we are today, I also hope that my daughter is not as naive as I was when she dates.  That quote about doing the same thing over and over expecting different results means your insane is very true.  Giving up your entire lifestyle for another person or trying to change who you are (as cliche' as that is) is also a horrible idea and should never happen.  Stay strong.  No one is worth all that.

"Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap is one of my favorites because it makes me dance, but also because I remember it almost as a signifier that I was in love with my now-husband.  It came on one day when we were getting ready for a date and it was maybe the first time in years that I danced as my true skilless self and didn't care what I looked like.  For whatever reason, I got very self-conscious about dancing in front of other people in my mid to late twenties, so I was very freeing to feel that safe again.

The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" is an older favorite of mine. I think I was introduced to them at the beginning of high school.  A track teammate of mine introduced me to a lot of "alternative" music.  He was actually my first date, but I ended it early because I was bored. He was always really snarky with me after that, which I guess was his defense mechanism but he was still someone I interacted with regularly because of track and cross country meets.  Bands like Psychadelic Furs, Pearl Jam, Dinosaur Jr. and Alice in Chains were some of the other bands I learned about from him.  Either sophomore or junior year of high school, I went to homecoming without a date and my friend Rachel and I danced to "Just Like Heaven" without abandon in the gym.  It was another one of those incredibly freeing moments.

What musicians have influenced you over the years?  Is there a song that makes you want to get up and dance, stirs up deep emotions, or always brings a smile to your face?  If you're a parent, what do you think of the songs your offspring listen to?  I will say that our parents did not listen to the lyrics of some of what we listened to growing up - there's no way!  So many lyrics are obviously about drugs or sex, but I don't remember being censored.  Anyway, jam on!