Fast Forward. Stop. Rewind. Stop. Play. Finding the exact moment a specific song started in the middle of a cassette tape was a science. Side A or Side B, it took hours of practice and multiple listens to become an expert.
Ah, the joys of cassette tapes and the Walkman itself.
Music on the go delivered one of the coolest experiences this '80s kid was drawn into. Car rides turned glorious. Walking around the house was an event. Fresh beats and rocking notes filled the days and nights where sweet music sent me off to slumber.
The journey advanced eventually to discmans, mp3 players, iPods, and cellphones. Music in your hands, everywhere. Wild!
Recently, the Walkman re-entered my life as the aim to cloak myself entirely in nostalgia continues. Discovered among the mishmash of items collected at my childhood home over the years was this relic. Items tossed aside to keep for no real reason, only to be found again by a nosy adult son looking for reconnection to the past.
Cleaned up with care and by Zeus it works, leading to days and nights of listening to the radio and a mission to dig out my old cassettes.
Cassettes meet Walkman
A whittled down collection fits snugly into one case, sans a handful of stray mixed tapes tucked away with my CDs. Dust-covered, black, with broken latches, this case was tucked away between a tall bookshelf and side wall. Years since it was last opened when the tape deck within my record player malfunctioned and rendered no need for the cassettes.
Now, sweet songs of yesteryear are ready to blast forth yet again.
Missing among a once proud collection is the first tape I believe was truly mine: Bad by Michael Jackson, a Christmas stocking gift. Still present, however, is another of my first cassette tapes. Whitesnake will have to wait as I sort through treasures.
The movie soundtrack was also part of my collection, with an apparent love of Bryan Adams and the ballads off Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Three Musketeers.
Really, it was the mixed tapes that interested me. Tapes nearly worn out in my teens from long road trips or simply driving up and down the main street of town. The Cruise, where the sweet melodies of Warren G., Coolio, and Will Smith blended with Live and Green Day. Sweet summer nights...
...slipping away into tireless daydreams now. Back to the Walkman and using it when jogging and bike rides. Versatile. Easy to handle. Eater of batteries.
In the present day, a pleasant change of pace to break away from the digital music of the world. Rarely on the go but delightful, nonetheless. Settling in, recalling the days waiting by the radio to record your favorite song. To one day slide into a Walkman, to listen on repeat, here. And there.
Brief updates
In between enjoying the usual slate of spooky season movies, and Boise State football, there has been plenty of writing. A novel, Through the End of Time, is so closer to reaching its conclusion. And the second, a follow up of sorts to Of Snow Forts and Santa, is also making progress.
With a little less than three months remaining in 2024, it is a goal to have the first draft of either (or both) done before December 31.
Meanwhile, freelance writing, prep for Alley Repertory Theater's upcoming season, and my new endeavor with Arts Boise occupy my time.
Thanks for stopping by. Be bold. Be kind.
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