Music & Memories
Music is powerful. It can calm you when you’re tense, give you energy when you need a pick-me-up, and even put you to sleep. Music also has a way of bringing back vivid memories of times past. As such, I would like to take you on a trip down memory lane and share some songs (in no particular order), along with the memories they conjure up.
Harvey Danger - “Flagpole Sitta” & Ben Folds Five - “Army”
These two songs bring back the memory of one of my best summers, the summer of 1999. This is the summer that my wife and I got engaged. The words to these songs actually have no relevance to the memories they bring back. These were just two of the CD’s that got the most play in my CD player as I made the commute to B’s house every day after work. It was a long commute, but I did it because I wanted to spend time with her everyday. As such, every time that I hear either of these two songs, I am immediately taken back to that summer, and it puts a huge smile on my face.
Dixie Chicks - “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)”
Every time I hear this song, I think about my oldest son, Nicholas. When he was a baby, my wife used to sing Nicholas to sleep with this song. Hearing this song reminds me of how much I love Brandy, Nick Luke and Olivia.
Cypress Hill - “Insane in the Brain”
Pot was never my thing, but this song never got old. Hearing it reminds me of weeks at basketball camp each summer. I also used to listen to this song before each JV, varsity, and Charlotte Pro Am game I played in order to get pumped up for the game. Hearing this song makes me want to find a pick-up game somewhere.
Shaggy - Hot Shot (the whole album)
In 2006, my wife and I vacationed to Jamaica for our five-year anniversary. They played this album over and over at one of the pools in the Sandals resort where we stayed. As such, when I hear any of the songs on this album, I am instantly transported to beaches of sunny Jamaica (and the all-inclusive swim-up bar).