Wander down memory lane and I know you will find that music follows. Think about it for a second and you will quickly understand what I mean. Sure you can relate a time in your life to a school subject, like my senior year reminds me of writing. Or I might relate an everyday item, like a newspaper, to a workplace memory of designing an advertisement at the Kenosha News at 2:00AM. But in reality, life is painted with the stroke of a musical brush, and memories, they are burned into song lyrics like tattooed body art brands the skin.
If you are thirty-two years old or younger, you have a memory of this song. It is guaranteed. You either had your first kiss, discovered your first love, had your first high school or junior high dance or teared up alone in your room dreaming about these lyrics.
I promise you did.
How powerful is music that with one YouTube video I can bring you back twelve years (seriously it was 1998) and you instantly remember a moment in your life-like it happened last Saturday? Name anything else with that type of memorable capability and I promise a song probably helped you think of that idea.
Got engaged or recently get married? What song plays in your mind to help you remember the moment? Watched your team win a Super Bowl? Think about the replays of those games and what song is playing in the background. Does it make it feel like this was yesterday instead of TWENTY-FIVE years ago?
Seriously, music is the best history book available.
Working in jewelry, I am a part of a lot of people’s memories. Really there are few professional that are more involved in the big moments in life than jewelers. We get to help guys make a huge life-changing engaging decision. We get to help couples pick out symbolic bands that they will cherish the rest of their lives. If you are a good husband, we are probably a small part of most of your historical anniversary and birthday gifts. Yet, I would find it odd if every time you replayed a special moment, you visualized me helping you at the microscope while we looked at 1-carat diamonds.
In fact if I am anything but a small part of your engagement memory, you need to turn your radio up a little louder driving home from the jewelry store. I appreciate the thought, but trust me the microscope-viewing is not the highlight of that engagement ring presentation.
Music tracks events like a lyrical archive of life. For example, like most, I love concerts. Especially concerts with artists like Ben Folds.
Real musicians.
Of course the concert is a narrative memory by itself, but what I have found is the music stays with you long after the ticket stub is machine washed and tumble-dried. Why is it that I have a hard time remembering the first ten United States Presidents, but I can remember every lyric to Ice, Ice Baby? Is Vanilla Ice really more influential than Abraham Lincoln? (Lincoln was actually our 16th President, but you get the idea) Also, you are totally welcome to stop singing now, we all know “Ice is back with [his] brand new invention.”
So my question is what does your history sound like? Mine is a variety of the musical beats and totally corny love songs, but the best part is these songs are what help me remember what my life was like at a certain age better than any other memento. Check out these moments in my life and let me know what musical history you cherish and how it helps you remember the worst and best parts of life.
The early days:
College at its finest:
True Love:
If you need a laugh:
Great job buddy. You always do, but I really identified with this.