And I Will Always Love You.

Digression: Apologies in advance for the overindulgence of "me" talk and for all the bloody rambling. I haven't even had any wine - I'm just tired. End of digression.

Had an interesting conversation with a friend last night about wedding songs. As in "this was our wedding song" wedding songs, not the Electric Slide and the Hokey Pokey and that sort of shit. He was surprised to learn that I'd chosen my wedding song* even though I have no intention of getting married in the near future (or ever, for that matter).** My rationale for doing so is that if you meet someone and you find out (unintentionally, like when it comes onto the radio when you're both in the car or something) that he absolutely positively CANNOT STAND that song, it's probably time to move on.

Of course this is because music is such a key part of my life. I've talked about this elsewhere, but I have a memory for almost every single song I own. Like, when I hear "Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins I'm back in 1993, walking around the drillfield at Virginia Tech at 3am after hanging out with the self-proclaimed archidorks all night. If the radio plays "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley I'm in Yellowstone National Park, 1995, driving behind a gang of bikers to see Old Faithful. If I happen to hear "Three Strange Days" I'm back in 1991 sitting in my friend's dorm at UMCP, praying that his cute roommate will make me a copy of his School of Fish tape. (He did.) And the entire third album by Cake takes me back to my last remotely significant relationship, every day of it, for better or worse.

I could go on and on and on, but you get the point. Not all are great memories, but they're my memories that I actively choose not to hide away in some crevice of my brain and ultimately forget about. For whatever reason I want to keep this part of me and whoever I meet will have to accept that. And also like it. Dammit.

________________
* As of last night it was - was - the acoustic version of Everlong by Foo Fighters. His voice in that song just melts me, as girlie as that sounds. I've probably changed my mind about it, after thinking a lot all day about what the song probably means. Probably. OK I'm pretty sure, actually. (But if we go with the melty-voice concept it'll probably evolve into a Jack Johnson or Grant Lee Phillips song. Probably.)

** See, between relationships, songs, and who knows what else - I'm an equal non-committal opportunity employer.