Music during an Existential Crisis
Sometimes Music Is All You Need
A little while ago, I was having an existential crisis while thinking about different things and felt like I was getting a migraine because of it. Do I want to go back home and save some money? Do I want to move to this totally awesome city that will have rent eat up most of my paycheck if I do it alone and will have to resort to roommates again? Seriously, the thought made me want to scream.
I noticed that these thoughts usually come up when I’m thinking alone in the quiet. Then I look up articles that make my thoughts even worse because while it’s nice seeing that others relate to you, it just backs up all the negative feelings you already had going through your head. So, I try to get my mind off it somehow and only one thing usually does the trick. Listening to music. I’m sure this is the case for most people, but it’s been one of the only ways that can help keep me grounded after all these years.
When I was little, I used to have this old-school used boombox that still had cassette players on it, I would sit next to it for hours and try to record stuff I’d hear on the radio. I did it a little too often because my parents ended up making a rule on what times I could use it. As I grew up, I also got to experience several instruments because I wanted to understand what I was listening to more. I joined a few bands, and currently, I guess you can say I’m like a hobby bedroom producer. None of that beats the feeling of listening to music others make though, as it’s still my go-to when I need to chill a bit.
I particularly like listening to musicians from different countries. The two other languages that I’ll listen to the most are Spanish and French. Spanish (Mexico) to stay in touch with my heritage and French, such as my second favorite band, Indochine. I’ve never been to France, but I took French in high school to learn something new and try to listen to French musicians to learn more and keep the little I did learn refreshed. Another perk is the wish to travel to different countries one day and to be able to make new friends with people from different cultures. I feel like learning about the world opens our eyes to understanding the differences between all of us. Music is a great way to open yourself up to other ways of life.
Then there are the friendships made between people with similar musical interests. Usually, those people end up becoming your best friends. Some of the best experiences are hanging out, while your favorite tunes are playing in the background and having a blast just being around people you love. Dances, parties, prom nights, shows, raves, concerts, and things like that are some of the best memories people have and will keep close to them until they take their last breath. Even just a romantic night out on a first date will attach some memories to songs that played while you were falling in love with someone new. Music is everywhere.
At the bare minimum, at least on days like this, where stress is running rampant and hope is feeling a little low, getting lost in some melody makes life seem not as bad as it did 5 minutes earlier.
