Old songs, friends and bookends

For someone who can hardly sing, or even play a musical instrument, it perhaps is strange that music have such a big influence and presence in my life. They never fail to evoke some kind of emotion or memory from deep within, especially if it is a particular piece that "trademarked" a period of my life, held some special meaning, or was basically "the song" that was attributed to a person or a group of people.

Anyway, after yet another DVD failed on me, I decided to dig out all my old audio CDs I have here and import them into the computer before they too suffer the fate of their less well-taken care of compatriots.

It was a mixed bag of emotions over the weekend as I went through songs... some old, some relatively new, but each bringing back memories of the past. Some going back as far as when I was 12. It's funny how one doesn't forget even after all these years. Each memory when dug out as fresh as if it just happened yesterday.

As iTunes slowly played and went through the songlist, it was akin to looking at shelf after shelf of books... each book being a portion of my life. Each bearing a title of a song. Each period bookended (is there such a word?) similarly by a song tied to some kind of event.

It's almost as good as browsing through an old photo album. Except the pictures exist only in my head. If only there was some way of bringing them out now...