It’s amazing. As I’m home from work today, feeling useless because I have the flu and can’t go to work, I exist soley on little projects. One of today’s little projects is to restore my cd collection to its jewel-case state.
While for some people this may seem like a trite way to pass time, and a completely unmonumental task worth mentioning, it is quite a trip down memory lane. For me, someone that shys away from the camera lens (prefering to be behind one, instead) and has his whole life, I have very little documentation of my youth. Thank goodness for outgrowing a cd case.
As many of you know, I’ve been carrying my cd’s around in a steel dj box for 2 years or so now. The only downside to this solution is that now that I’ve grown out of the box, as well as the little plastic sleeves, I have to find a new solution. So today, with some hot tea by my side, I began converting back to an at-home-take-only-what-you-need solution, which requires me to go through all the cd’s i own, including all the ones that are shoved in every corner of my room.
As I sit here, flipping and shuffling, the memories come pouring back. It’s as if i’m sitting and looking through a scrapbook of my youth, only better. See, photobooks are great, because they document visually those great times of your life that you want to remember, right? Well for my backwards-ass, cd’s document random slices of my life…the day and time and situation that I buy each cd. And it’s amazing just how I remember the story around almost every single cd I’ve ever bought (save ones people have given me, or if i purchased more than 5 at a time). For example:
Guster’s Lost and Gone Forever album - My friend Tyler burned this cd for me, giving it to me under the notion of “my sister listens to these guys, they’re pretty awesome.” It was June of 1999 and he was about to leave to work in Boston for the summer. I was sitting at the intersection of Central Ave and McCord Rd when I first popped it in and remembered thinking “this is exactly what i’m looking for right now. perfect.”
Nas’ Stillmatic album - It was Dec. of my senior year in college and I had been reading (while supposed to be working on my thesis) about the beef between Nas and Jay-Z and quickly downloaded Nas’ Ether. Being in such a frenzy to hear what the rest of his comeback album would be like, I scribbled the rest of my art history exam essay and ran out the door to go to Media Play. As I drove up to Dana’s to meet my art history professor for a beer, I sank into the first several tracks.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals Come Find Yourself album - Junior year in high school. We were in Columbus for a regatta. Jason and Pete and I were wandering around High Street and went into Used Kids to poke around. I felt so incredibly grown up…Used Kids was the coolest, most indie record shop i’d ever been to (nothing in toledo could ever be this cool, just ‘cuz it’s toledo). I remember finding Faithless’ Reverence album used for $8, consequently making Jason hot under the collar for finding it before him (pouting ensued). I also picked up the FLC album on a whim, after hearing “Scooby Snacks” somewhere over that summer. I didn’t listen to it for a week (until the Head of the Ohio Regatta in pittsburg), because Faithless didn’t leave my cd player.
…and on and on and on. Each disc has it’s own story, etched into my mind. I remember where I was driving when I hear certain songs for the first time, what I was wearing, who I was with, etc. If there’s one stupid, seemingly pointless blessing that I’ve been given, it’s to retain knowledge like this. I pray that I never loose that. Each time I pick up Dookie, it’s like I’m 14 all over again…and I love that.
