A Song, A Memory

We all fall in love at different times and for different reasons. Sometimes we fall in love before we can fully comprehend what it means in our lives. Sometimes we are flat out in over our heads. The Fray captured that feeling perfectly, and their song Over My Head (Cable Car) is still one of my favorites.

And I am nothing of a builder

But here I dreamt I was an architect

And I built this balustrade

To keep you home, to keep you safe

From the outside world

But the angles and the corners

Even though my work is unparalleled

They never seemed to meet

This structure fell about our feet

And we were free to go

The Decemberists in Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect created some of the most sophisticated lyrics that I have heard, and those lyrics have stuck with me. We cannot always keep ourselves and those we love safe. More importantly, sometimes jobs, situations, or relationships fall apart and make way for better things. Even though I thought I was the great architect of my future and knew exactly how my life would go, my first deep relationship beyond friendship fell apart.

A few months later, I took a shot and asked a different girl out on a date. I have always been one to buy my own songs and make my own playlists. Back then, I had a burned CD with a few of my favorites. Without thinking, I picked her up from her house with that CD playing. We fell into an awkward silence for the first mile. Then a song by The Format called The First Single (You Know Me) came on. She looked over at me while I was driving and said, "You know this song?" Still to this day I feel lucky that song came on when it did. We settled into a conversation smoothly, and the ice was broken. The First Single (You Know Me) was truly the first song of many that we have shared.

A few years later, that initial first date had built into a strong relationship. A wedding was planned, and we needed to find a song for our first dance. We tended to stay away from conventional songs and continued that tradition choosing 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October for our first dance. It seemed to chronicle our relationship to some extent, with our many conversations about what our plans were and her tendency to rest her head on my stomach when watching a movie or tv show, while providing a slow enough tune that even I could dance to it.

I thought Over My Head (Cable Car) would be my favorite song for the rest of my life. Then, my wife and I were expecting our first child about the time Ben Rector came out with Brand New. It is the song I have now listened to most in my life, and it truly speaks to that moment when a person feels deep down how significant a day or feeling is in his or her life. We listened to the song four times on the way home from the hospital, truly reveling in our new bundle of joy.

Life is a lot about our mindset. Luckily, I found All Will Be Well by Gabe Dixon early enough in life, perhaps when I needed it most. If I am having a bad day or a bad week, I will pull this song out and dust it off. I cannot explain it, but I do think if I work hard enough in my career, relationships, and family all will indeed be well. "You can ask me how, but only time will tell."

Thank you, Vocal, for using my idea in this challenge. Music is truly magical, and sometimes it can tell the story of our lives better than we can. Sometimes it deepens our memory for a moment in our past. Anything that can help us hold on to those great moments is truly wonderful.