Girl Put Your Records On

In December 2010, my dear friend Shawn Fitzpatrick was killed in a car accident. Although we had not been as close in recent years, he always remained amongst my favorite people. I was devastated to learn of his death. The anniversary of it, which was also very close to both Christmas and what would have been his birthday, weighed on me heavily this past December. He was on my mind a lot.

Shawn and I were in the same program in college that sent us to Germany for the 1995-96 school year. We also lived in the same dorm, although on different floors. We spent a lot of time together. He was brilliant (languages, mathematics, chess) and funny and kind and warm-hearted. I have a lot of great memories that are associated with him. I miss him so much.

Earlier this week, I was driving in the car and I got to thinking about the time after I returned from Germany when he sent me a mix tape out of the blue. He called it “Die Zaubertanzmusikkassette,” or for those of you who don’t speak German, “The magical dance music tape.” Although I held onto it for years, it’s no longer in my possession; I can’t remember if I left it in storage when we moved to Hawaii, or if I got rid of it. But it was full of all kinds of interesting stuff, most of which I never would have listened to on my own, such as Dillagi’s “Dhoom Dhoom Luck Luck” and other bands from all over the world.

There was a time in my life when my friends and I were always trading music with each other. I love to share the music I enjoy with other people. Except for on rare occasions, I don’t do this any longer. I miss it. I know that there are websites for this sort of thing now. I’ve never tried it, so I honestly don’t know if I would like it.

My gut instinct is that it wouldn’t feel the same as taking the time to plan out the perfect mix album for someone. Isn’t that the typical knee-jerk reaction to new things, though? That’s why we tend to fear change so much, I think. It’s hard to believe that, if we have liked the way something has been, that changing it can’t possibly make it better. Sometimes that’s true, but not always.

Maybe I’ll try a music-based social networking site. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll see if I can interest some friends in swapping music. Maybe I won’t. But I’ve enjoyed thinking about it this week. In a way, it’s helped me feel like I’m honoring my friend by thinking about the joy he gave me through music. It’s all we can really do for the people we’ve lost, to never let them stray far from our minds.

2012 Goal Update, Week 1

Goal 1: Finished Chapter 17. Started Chapter 18. Didn’t like it, successfully rewrote. Wrote first blog post.

Goal 2: Discussed with a friend the possibility of collecting used schoolbooks for children in Uganda. Considering another friend’s suggestion that I might be interested in helping the elderly.

Goal 3: Got to spend more time with the husband. Went on Date Night. Cuddled on the couch and watched football together on Sunday.

Goal 4: Continued to eat three times a day. Did the river walk on Saturday.