For the Record

When I bring a girl home, I will invariably put on a record. Music is deeply intertwined with my memories. I can't hear "Everlong" without thinking of Carolyn Van Lydegraph driving Tim, Amber, and me around in her grey Nissan Sentra to get breakfast at four in the morning. I can't think of the Against Me! acoustic e.p. without thinking about playing Bomb-A-Lot with Tim at the Yori house. When I hear the Beach Boys I'm practically sitting in the '85 Toyota 4-Runner my Dad and I used to take on road trips. Music is synapse that links all my memories.

Sometimes, when I'm not sure about the shelf-life of a particular partner, I'll put on a record I don't like very much. My memory is always paying attention; I don't want to spoil a great record for a fling.