Writer's Block: Take me back

[cupcake_goth]

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Hmmm. Considering how much of an emotional wallop music packs for me, you would think that I would have an answer to this. But long ago I started very actively working on reclaiming songs that reminded me of previous relationships, so that I could listen to them again. There are songs that cause a wince of rueful recognition (Dear Fall Out Boy, thank you for writing "Hum Hallelujah"), but I still like and listen to those songs..

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In other news, I am vaguely considering doing that "30 songs in 30 days" meme I've seen going around, emotional landmines be damned. Is that something you folks would like to see here?

Comments

[arielmeadow.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, I have to share mine. Pearl Jam's "Black" reminds me terribly of my first love, or rather, a version of him that lived only in my mind. During three high drama years together (even early on it was clear things would eventually end badly), I convinced myself that "Black" would be the song he would sing to himself when he thought back on our time together -- "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life / I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky, but why / Why, why can't it be, can't it be mine?"

I heard the song recently and was overcome with emotion -- not over the ex, but over the naive fantasies I had about him when I was 17. Ah, projection. SO WEIRD!

[theda.livejournal.com]

I keep wanting to do that but I have been being a little abused by emotional memories lately, I don't know if I could do it.

for both you and Jilli

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

I knew there would be landmines when I started doing the meme, and that is why I put together a spreadsheet so that I have a line for each individual day, with a column saying what the day is, a column of my babble about my song choice, a column for the artist, a column for the song title, and a column that holds the embedding link info.

And I filled the whole damn thing out entirely before I started posting it. This way I had time to sidle up to the really really hard ones. And I could walk away from it for as long as I wanted or needed to, if something was too hard. And a couple of them were really hard. And I changed my mind a lot because I had second thoughts about how much I wanted to share with the world of my friends list.

But, for both of you, I strongly suggest doing the meme in a format you can copy/paste from like I did. When you are done, you can decide if you want to share it. I found it very cathartic and therapeutic. I know that both of you have a very strong connection to music, just as I do. I think going through this meme, for yourselves if no one else, would be a good thing for you. Most of the days are about positive associations and memories. Only a few have landmines in them.

Doing it outside of posting means you can edit what you share before you share it, and it means you can change your mind on what you want to share too.

And you don't have to talk about the song choices. GF started it for me, and he does talk about them, and so I do as well. But you don't have to. It's a meme.

Hell, you can look at the list of questions, and change any of them you don't want to answer too. :D

[jola.livejournal.com]

I'm really lucky in that the two songs that makes me think of an ex are pretty much not in my regular rotation because they are not by bands i like (gah, one is a Slayer song, the other is Magic Man by Heart [do NOT give me shit for this]).

and yes, i would be interested!

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

You already know I want to see your version of the meme. Comment to theda is for both of you.

I have songs that remind me of each and every ex (boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancee, lover, roommate, or even just friend). And I have songs that remind me of people I know *now*.

But none of those memories prevent me from listening to those songs. Even when it feels like I am being drug through the rose-bushes down memory lane. Those times and experiences are part of who *I* am now. All of them. Every one of those people is part of who I am, and I can't fully appreciate myself without acknowledging bad choices I have made, horrible things I have done, the times I lost my mind, or anything else I might otherwise be inclined to pretend never happened.

I like me. Even the bad stuff.

I like you too. Even the bad stuff. :)

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

You can fully reserve the right to participate only for those days that make you feel happy. The Meme Police will not break down the door, I promise. :)

[blackrosemortal.livejournal.com]

the 30 songs in 30 days meme amuses me as well. I just need to find a list of the 30 topics

[killer-cola.livejournal.com]

Yes, goodness yes! Your lj makes me smile :) X x

[moonmelodies.livejournal.com]

I know this off topic. I have a question.

You live Seattle right? Well, as a wee-baby bat I was hugely inspired by the creator of the Goths of Colour website (she even wrote an article for Morbid Outlook (http://www.morbidoutlook.com/lifestyle/articles/2001_02_gothocolour.html)). She said was quite active in the Seattle scene before she moved to the UK. Do you know her or know of her? I wish to tell her how much she helped me as a baby bat. But, sadly I don't think she's on the internet anymore. :\