I Believe in Another World

I believe in another world. A world of music that can pick you up and set you in a landscape where the beats are the sunlight. A sound that brings life and energy. That gives you a rhythm to live to. The melody is the wind that can carry you to peace as soon as you close your eyes. That somehow brings you instant calm in the hurricane of life. The words a soothing salve that heals all of the burns of reality. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you a real story about the magic of music.

I was sitting alone at lunch. There wasn’t anyone that I felt was my friend.

Alone.

Looking sad.

Not a single person asked me how I was doing or even “Are you okay?”. I left lunch almost crying and fully friendless.

I walked out in the sunny day with beautiful blooming flowers all around me. But even that couldn’t cheer me up. All I was wishing for was something to take my mind off of my thoughts.

As I entered advisory, I bolted for my chromebook and opened Spotify. I clicked on “Sing About Me” by Kendrick Lamar and set it to max volume. I just closed my eyes and . It was like someone offered a hand to me. I let the loud beat wash me away like a paper boat in a river. The words an unspoken assurance that I am okay.

It’s amazing that the most magical thing I can ever experience is at my fingertips.

Music is also memory.

In the hot, humid summer, I would go to the neighborhood pool with my friend, Noelle. Man, it was so much fun. We would bike a mile from our houses to the pool with sweat dripping down our faces like a fountain of hard work. We’d arrive sweaty and grinning, excited to jump in the chilly pool and cool off. Sometimes, on the unlucky days, we’d walk excitedly to the pool, but figure out it was adult swim! Adult swim was an excruciating 15 minute time period where ONLY the adults could swim and everyone else would have to wait

In the hot sun

On scalding, metal pool chairs

Until…

The whistle! Once they blew that whistle it was like the call to war. All the kids jumped in the pool, us included!

Once we got in, it was an instant relief. The cold water was so refreshing in contrast to the baking sun.

While all this fun was happening, the giant speakers would play pop and pop rock songs like Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen and Thunder by Imagine Dragons. And that was probably the best part and the part that I can remember the most. Everytime I would listen to any songs similar to those, I would instantly think of the times at the pool.

Music is magic. It takes you places that you’ve never been or to places you've been to 1,000 times.

The next time you listen to music, let it whisk you away to another world.