Songs and Memories

There are some songs that bring back certain memories every time you hear them, regardless of how long it has been or where you currently are. As my iPod seems to be playing some nasty little games with me lately, I found it odd that some of my memory songs were all together on shuffle.

It started with “Back in Black” by AC/DC. Every time I hear this song I think of a pep rally in high school. One may wonder just how a Catholic school let this song be played all the time, but I’m ignoring that. Our colors were black and gold so I guess they just went along with it. I hear the song and I’m back in the Aquinas gym and clapping.

“No Diggity” by Blackstreet had a dance to accompany the great lyrics, but I have since forgotten most of them. In my attempt to be in a sorority at MSU (I was in one in MD but transferred) I was part of the active intro that we did prior to the pledge class serenading the fraternities. I remembering being in the ZTA kitchen and figuring out moves to the song and then wearing Adidas track pants, a white shirt and hat for the actual dance portion. Sometimes little snippets come back to me and I think I have it, but I don’t.

I’m pretty sure that singing “What it Takes” by Aerosmith at a wedding isn’t commonplace but that is exactly what happened back in 2001. Ok, perhaps singing isn’t quite the right word as those of us who stormed the DJ and hijacked the mic weren’t exactly singing so much as screeching, but it was a good time. And to have two girls as the leads (me and Kelly of course) was pretty priceless. I don’t think Steven Tyler has anything to worry about, but the pictures are a nice souvenir. Sidebar: I also contended that I didn’t do a shot that night as I don’t do shots, but then saw a picture to prove me wrong).

“Yellow Ledbetter” is a classic at least in my mind and those who ever rode in the Little Red Ford Probe (see previous post about how much I loved that car). As you may remember, there were people who lived in that car and stole things like change and cigarettes from my friends. I should probably also be honest and say this kind of reminds me of a guy I liked senior year as well but given the longevity of the car and the friendships the song is forever bonded to my senior year of high school. It especially makes me think of my friend C that I was going to open a slurpee stand with.


There was a summer that will live in infamy and not for a lot of good reasons, but there is a song to go along with all the driving excursions, pain and drunken times that makes it a bit better. “Without Me” by Eminem is classic and the intro of “two trailer park girls go round the outside” is hard to not laugh along with. At least a great friendship grew out of that summer;)

And that is just what happened yesterday with my iPod. Who knows what today has in store;)

I Am Whatever You Say I Am

Our perception of ourselves is one thing but the way other people see us can be a whole different ballgame. Some people see only one side of us and take that and run with it while others make us in to some larger person than what we are (not saying that’s always a bad thing, but it is a different thing).

For the most part, I think I’m pretty ok and nothing too good or too bad would be in my self-description. Lately though, I’m feeling more like Eminem with just not having the energy to try and dissuade someone from pigeonholing me in to something else. I mean, these aren’t people that I tend to really care about with too much passion one way or another so I feel like wasting more energy trying to get them to be realistic. If they can only think of me as one dimensional then so be it. I could get all holier than thou and say that it is their loss for being so narrow minded but I’ll refrain from that for now.

Then there are the rare cases where someone sees you as a whole and as doesn’t discount your potential negatives but makes you seem pretty awesome when they talk about you. It’s times like these that you want to be that person they describe all the time. Obviously I must portray these qualities often or else the intricate description wouldn’t fall so easily from their lips.

These are the people I want to surround myself with more and not just because some might construe it as an ego boost. I want to be around these people because they tend to be the ones that I have the most fun with, am the most at ease with and yes, every now and then I need a little reminder that I rock at certain things. I spend so much time trying to be on point for others that I might lose myself in the process. So if it’s fun, they’re fun and great people on multiple levels, why not let the good vibes keep going?

The Little Things

As I look back on the last few days, I’ve come to realize that Tallahassee from “Zombieland” and Troy from “Reality Bites” really do have something in their take pleasure in the little things theories. Of course, this could just be a reaction to my newfound go with the flow and let life happen approach but I like to draw the comparisons.

It started Friday as I was driving home. There’s nothing like having a moonroof open to sunshine on your way home from work to start things off right. Add a few good tunes and no traffic and you’re on your way to a great day. I knew that at some point that day my Godson J would be born (the wonders of inducing labor). I mean, does it get much better than that?