Treasure Your Personal Soundtrack

I had a moment the other day - a moment that swept me away from my current reality and back 10 years to young adult life.  A wave of emotions crashed over me as I felt like I was right back in my old car, worrying about some silly guy, excited about the promise of the future.  All of this was brought on by a song.

You see, I had recently acquired a smart phone on which I promptly uploaded many of my old CDs that had been sitting on a shelf collecting dust.  My CD collection dates back to the first CD I ever bought (Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker...in case you were wondering) and includes CDs from my mid-adolescence, early University years, young adulthood, courtship with my husband, and current favourites.  It contains, in essence, the soundtrack of my life. 

This remarkable moment came as I was driving in my car (not the best time or place for a remarkable moment to happen, but fortunately, no one was hurt) and was listening to my old songs on my new device.  When one of my favourite songs began playing and I instinctively sang along, I was immediately transported to another time and place.  I remembered every word, every guitar riff, every little detail about a song I had not heard in 10 years.  I found myself FEELING different...as if I was re-experiencing the emotions I felt when that song was important in my life.  Truly remarkable.

I'm not sure why I was so surprised by the moment.  As a music therapist, I try to provide this for my elderly clients every day!  I am constantly telling people about how music can help individuals reconnect with themselves, with their past, with others, and with life moments.  But I guess when it happens to you, it's just different...and unexpected.

So why am I sharing this? 

It became so clear to me that we need to treasure our personal soundtracks.  As smart phones and laptops and MP3 players are quickly replacing CDs, we run the risk of losing the ability to access the music of our lives when we need it most.  A downloaded album will easily be thrown away as outdated devices get replaced by newer, shinier models.  Sure, they may be transfered to the new devices, but eventually they'll be lost.  And lost will be an unexpected moment when a song you needed to hear begins to play.

I needed to hear that song.  It reminded me of who I AM.  It reminded me of who I wanted to be back then - of the dreams I had, of the wonder I had for life.  It reminded me that I still AM that person, just with a few more life lessons, a little less time, and a couple of kids pulling my attention in every direction.  It's easy to forget one's self when life just keeps coming.  My personal soundtrack helped me remember myself in such a gentle, beautiful way.

So treasure your soundtracks.  Save your CDs.  Pull them out and dust them off every once in a while.  Share them with your spouse, your kids, your friends.  They'll learn a lot about you...and you'll remember alot about yourself.

www.cristinbostrom.com