I was sitting at my desk this morning listening to Adele and it sparked several realizations. Notes contained after points listed.
1. Amy Winehouse is dead and death is very real.
2. The radio ruins perfectly good music, but that does not mean that you cannot revive it later in life.
3. I live in three current states of self: past self, current self, future self.
1. In late April, 2011 I sat in a small café in Barcelona with my friends Alex, Jess, and Drew. We had just walked to see the Segrada Familia and some of Gaudi's other work in the city. We spoke to the waitress of the café who may also have been the owner. I perused the menu to ensure my selection was meat acceptable and mayonnaise free. I don't particularly remember the food but I remember the colorful walls and the friendly service, but mostly I remember the music.
I heard Adele's Rolling in the Deep for the first time while I sat in this café. I did not know who Adele was at this point, so I sat there and tried to figure out who was singing these words. I believe at that time that my best guess was Amy Winehouse. In retrospect, this was obviously quite far off, but not so far, I suppose. Either way- Amy Winehouse died less than 3 months later, July 23, 2011.
I doesn't matter that Adele sang Rolling in the Deep or that Amy Winehouse didn't but that three years ago I sat there listening to and wondering about this song. I didn't know Amy Winehouse but I do know a lot of people and they are all the same (most of them without the substance abuse issue).
One day some song or place or smell is going to remind you of someone you know. It may be your best friend or someone that you met briefly at one point in your life. You may think of them in passing and then three months later they may be dead. This sounds morbid but I mean it in the most inspiring way. Think of them while they are living. Reach out to them and love them.
They say life is short, but it is the longest thing that we do. Your life may be longer or shorter than others that you know. Do not take it for granted. Appreciate and love those that you want to love.
2. Rolling in the Deep was one of the most popular and therefore overplayed songs on the radio in 2011 and 2012 which had probably caused me to resent it. This reminds me of a time in 8th grade when one classmate pointed out how annoying one of our other classmates was. After classmate 1 made this comment I too started to think classmate 2 was obnoxious. I was young and impressionable at the time and maybe I had always thought 2 was a annoying, but never were these thought present until another brought them to the surface.
The radio and this 13 year old guy both made me dislike something or someone that I may very well have enjoyed, both by praise and condescension.
This has brought to light the effect that our environment has on my outlook and opinions. These are less easily swayed than when I was 13 but it is a reminder not to let the beauty or greatness slip through the cracks based off of the values that others bestow upon it.
I have listened to Rolling in the Deep about 7 times this morning and have enjoyed every play.
3. On July first I was talked to my dad and told him that 6 months ago I was sailing around BVI on the yacht week and commented "RIP past happy self". That does not necessarily mean that my current self is not happy or that my future self won't be happy, but I feel now that 6 months ago I felt a different self. Now I am trying to delineate these "selves" and analyze their revolution. Right now I think I can label that as traveling (work-wise) self opposed to lives and works in Houston self.
