Crash and Burn

It’s Move Me Monday and we’re going to look at the power of music.

In general, music is fun and enjoyable, but every so often a song pierces your heart or resonates with your soul, as though the strings of your life hum at the same frequency.  When that song plays, the world melts away and it feels like your spirit sprouts wings and could burst out of your chest.

Without even trying, music finds a way to hallmark major points in our lives.  From thereafter, that song will forever bring forth memories of that moment, that place, keeping those memories alive and rekindling those feelings.

I first started battling depression in fourth grade.  I was a kid with a ton of health problems, and being sick all the time doesn’t lend itself to positive emotions.  How could I communicate what I was feeling?  There were no plain words to describe the deep, gut wrenching emotions I felt.

Music gave me that outlet.  The lyrics combined with the perfect chords released the floodgates of what was bottled up and let it all rush out.  It’s important to experience your emotions, even the bad ones, so they don’t stay compressed and festering.

There was one song that helped me survive those moments of intense pain and despair: “Crash and Burn” by Savage Garden.  I put my headphones on, hit repeat, turned up the volume, and drowned in that song.

Some people might think it’s not good to indulge those feelings, but ignoring them doesn’t make them go away.  I welcomed them, sat with them, and when the music shut off, I returned to life, able to breathe just a little easier.  (This song even promised me that: “There has always been heartache and pain, but when it’s over you’ll breathe again.”)

Whenever I listen to that song, I remember how it helped me survive.  It doesn’t bring up old feelings of despair or sadness; it just reminds me of where I was so I never forget.  My battle with depression is over (a story I think I’ll share on another Move Me Monday), but my love of this song will always be tied to the power it had, giving the deepest, darkest part of me a voice when I needed it most.

Is there a song that unlocked the gate to intense emotions you didn’t know how to express?  Is there a song that helped you survive your teen years?  I love hearing from you!

You can also find me on Mistress Suzie’s blog today with another flash fiction episode of the Adventures of Teagan.