Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Songs of My Life

Do you associate songs with certain times in your life? 

Do you remember the song "How Bizarre?"  Was that even the name?  You know the one from the late 90s?  Whenever I hear that (which, lets be honest, is rarely) I think of driving to Salt Lake with Mom, Carly and Loni into ballet class.  We're laughing in the car in our pink tights and buns.  We're talking which is, I think, the reason that I'm still so close with my mom and sisters.


The  Nearness of You by Norah Jones, reminds me of dating Heber there at the beginning back when I was living in Bridgerland Apartments in college.  We realized that we loved each other but were still in the casual, having fun stage.  There was one time we went up the canyon to hang up a hammock (I really love hammocks).  He tied it up and had me test it out.  I immediately fell on my tush because of the rope not being tied enough. 

When I hear Typical Girl by Cheri Magill, I'm in Anderson Apartments in my undergrad with 5 roommates.  We're sitting in our wood paneled and lenoleum kitchen, laughing over roommate dinner and talking about the bests and worsts.  Heb was on his mission (we were writing) and I was trying to make some big decisions about my life and seeking the DC internship.  It was a stressful, hopeful, crazy time. 

Whenever I hear Black Roses Red, I am instantly back to the time I was working at Scentinel Candle and taking a creative writing class.  I was trying to work through the loss of a job.  I think of hiking up the snowy Old Main Hill and listening to that on my iPod.  I had lost myself for a good while there and was beginning to sort through it all.  I was dancing again with the Irish classes and loving mastering new steps.

When I hear Shine by Laura Izibor (still one of my favorite songs), I'm driving in Salt Lake City with Heber.  I had just gotten a job with the River Restoration and received a call offering me a second job with the Space Dynamics Laboratory.   I was looking forward to a summer filled with a lot of work but a very fulfilling experience.  I worked harder that summer then I ever had before but felt more like myself and more on track with who I wanted to be.  I had figured out that I wanted to go back to grad school and study instructional design.

When I hear Ingrid Michaelson, I'm in Park City doing a conference for the River Restoration folks.  I'm packing bags of ice and making copies in the bright Utah sunshine and mountains.  I'm half way through grad school and feeling really comfortable with where my life is going.  I was on the Sunday Puzzle that week and writing code for my HTML class.  It's a time where I was really growing and learning.

Now, I'm a new mom in a new place with a whole new life.  I'm wondering what song will remind me of this time. 

Do you tie songs to significant moments in your life?  What are they?

4 comments:

James +Tami + Max said...

Dancing Queen remindes me of you and you know why. I don't know the name of the song but it says "I am rosemary's granddaughter. the spitting image of my daughter...." that remindes me of Working at sizzler because it was on all the time. Blink 182 with the "work Sucks" line reminds me of the greenhouse. Cold plays' shimmer reminds me of dating James. You got my brain thinking again. Thanks!

Jamie Blake said...

That's cute, Gen! I definitely do the same thing...I'm going to have to think of some specific ones. :)

Emma Jo said...

Yes! But the one that always comes to mind is an Ace of Base cassette tape in the car coming home from track practice with my sister Sarah, windows down, and feeling sooo cool.

benana said...

i absolutely do that. ben thinks its funny but there are certain songs that i even know what street and what day i drove down while it was on.