Mix Tapes and a Request

The other day I was rooting around in my old desk (the desk my dad built for me some 20+ years ago) and when I opened one of the drawers I stumbled across my collection of old mix tapes. These tapes date back to high school and college, the days before you could burn cds. I didn't save every one that I ever made, nor every one that someone else made for me, but these I saved even though there is currently no device in our house to play them on.

Such memories are wrapped up in these tapes, in these songs.

My friend, M., gave me my very first mix tape as a graduation/going away present in 1994 (as pictured below). I loved, loved, loved this mix and listened to it so many times over the years I'm surprised it survived. In fact, now that it's resurfaced, I am planning to make a playlist out of it so I can enjoy it all over again!

Music has saved my life on more than one occasion. My childhood had its share of trauma and I remember when my grandfather gave me my first Walkman for Christmas. I felt so cool since they were so new and none of my friends had one yet. I was not used to being the first to get much of anything.

When things got rough at home, I would crawl under the covers in the dark and I would put my headphones on and turn up the volume, losing myself to the music. This was a tactic I used for many years, music as a method of escape, as a method of therapy.

As I've mentioned before, in other blogs on other days, music is an important part of one my primary character's life. Holden is obsessed with music in ways that I am not, and for him, the music has been less about the diversion, and more about the passion. Holden is always making playlists and has made hundreds with different themes.

This all being said, I have a request. I would love any of you reading this to make me a playlist/mix cd. If you do this for me, I would kindly return the favor.

My very first mix tape

A sampling of some of the salvaged mixes.