WHEN WE WERE SOMETHING.

IT'S REALLY EASY TO LOOSE MYSELF IN A SONG. REMEMBERING BEING AT A CERTAIN PLACE AT A CERTAIN TIME JUST FROM ONE SONG. AN ENTIRE CD REMINDS ME OF A SPECIFIC POINT IN MY LIFE. IT'S LITERALLY JUST A CONSTANT SLIDE SHOW OF ALL THESE MEMORIES. THERE ARE TOO MANY SONGS THAT REMIND ME OF BEING A CHILD WITH MY PARENTS. HEARING MY DAD LISTENING TO LED ZEPPLIN IN THE SHOP WITH MY NOSE BURNING AND HEAD HURTING FROM THE SMELL OF ALL THE PAINTS AND CHEMICALS OF THE FAMILY SCREEN PRINTING BUSINESS. REMEMBERING THE FUN I HAD WITH HIM, GETTING TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM WHILE HE WORKED, LAYING IN THE HAMMOCK AND EATING POPCORN LAUGHING WITH HIM, AND HIM SWINGING MY SISTER AND I ON THE TIRE SWING. I REMEMBER SUMMERTIME WITH MY MOM MEANT DRIVING ALL OVER PHOENIX IN THE NEW JETTA IN SEARCH OF AN ADVENTURE, LISTENING TO THE SAME CASSETTE OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE CAR. ITS NOT JUST REMEMBERING WHERE YOU WERE, ITS ALSO MEMORIES OF HAVING THE WINDOWS DOWN, SINGING BLUES TRAVELERS FOUR AND JOHN MELLONCAMP ON THE TOPS OF OUR LUNGS, THE FEELING OF LIVING IN THE MOMENT AND LOVING MY MOM SO MUCH AT THAT MOMENT. ITS' NOT JUST REMEMBERING WHERE YOU WERE, BUT YOU START TO REMEMBER SMELLS, THE SUN IN YOUR EYES, THE WIND IN YOUR HAIR, AND THE RING IN YOUR EARS. THERE ARE CD'S THAT MARK MY ADOLESCENCE. I GREW UP OFF MUSIC, I USE MUSIC TO TIMELINE MY LIFE. AND I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE.

I ENJOY LISTENING TO THESE OLD SONGS, LETTING THE MUSIC CONSUME MY MIND AND FLOODING IT WITH MEMORIES, FLASHBACKS AND THOUGHTS. I REMEMBER A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS: BFF'S, SILLY CRUSHES, CRUZIN' IN THE CAMERO AND THE SMELL OF THE UPHOLSTERY, SNEAKING OUT OF THE HOUSE/SNEAKING BACK IN THE HOUSE PAST CURFEW. JUST BEING CAREFREE WITH NO RESPONSIBILITIES. HAVING OUR FAVORITE SONG MEANT HAVING AN ENTIRE CD OF JUST THIS ONE CRAPPY POP PUNK SONG, A MONTH OF PLAYTIME, WHO GETS WHAT PART OF THE SONG - AND THAT'S THE ONLY PART WE SUNG - THOSE WERE THE RULES. NOT SLEEPING FOR DAYS, SMOKING VANILLA CLOVES AND THINKING WE WERE SO COOL, RUNNING TO SECRET SPOT WITH A PINT OF CHERRY GARCIA SITTING AT THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF WITH OUR IDEAS OF ADULTHOOD, OUR DREAMS/OUR GOALS, WHO WE WERE GONNA BE AND FEELING INVINCIBLE. A MILLION WORDS A MINUTE AND WE UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD. WATCHING THE SUNRISE AT IHOP, PEEING OUR PANTS LAUGHING SO HARD AND REMEMBERING TO THIS DAY THE NAME OF OUR SERVER. THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

IT'S THE FEELING OF BEING SO CONTENT WITH THIS ONE PERSON. AND I THINK OF ALL THE TIME WE'VE MISSED OUT ON TOGETHER AND THE FEELING OF WHAT I WOULD DO JUST THE HAVE THAT FEELING BACK, JUST FOR ONE NIGHT. THEN YOU REALIZE, YOU JUST WANT TO BE A KID AGAIN. BUT WE'VE GROWN, GONE DOWN DIFFERENT ROADS AND BECOME TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. WE WILL NEVER CONNECT ON THAT SAME LEVEL, AGAIN. WE WILL NEVER BE KIDS AGAIN, EVER.

WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY THROUGH MUSIC, WE'LL ALWAYS BE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HER, IT WILL ALWAYS BE THIS WAY.