The Best Mix Tapes

This morning, I got up at 7:00AM. I think ever since I started working, my biological clock’s been ticking especially loud at 7:00AM for me to get on up out of bed and head off to work. So even when I don’t have work on rare mornings (like today!), I still have to hear that alarm in my head!

Mum (the early bird) was already up before me but Dad and my brother were still asleep. And since it was too early to greet the online world just yet, I decided to tidy up my room and as usual, find some old stuff that I’d forgotten about. This time, I found Tapes. Cassette Tapes to be exact. Now for those who grew up in my generation (90’s kids), do you remember this music? This used to be my most treasured musical collection…

I smiled, sighed, and put them all in my “giveaway” plastic bag. I already had all that music either on CDs or in MP3 format, and I’m over 99% sure that I won’t be listening to cassette tapes in the future…

But, just for the sake of remembering, remember when we used to record mix tapes? These are two tapes that two friends recorded for me back in the day. As you can tell, each has a different style of music, with the first leaning towards slower oldies and the second is a combination of the punk band Blink 182’s “Enema of the State” and “Take off Your Pants and Jacket”.

I also came across a couple of old recordings I’d made, from the radio, and an interview. I decided to get rid of that stuff, and took the ribbons out. As I pulled out the seemingly endless ribbons, I remembered Bruno Mars’ video clip for “Just the Way You Are” in which he makes images out of those ribbons. I tried two write “Bye” out of them but to no avail, and all I was left with was this mess on the floor…

I spent a good half hour getting rid of those tapes, but as I put the last of them away, I couldn't help but smile again at the musical means of the time, and how no matter how many years pass by, some music will always remain in our hearts. So this one’s for the music, and the songs we’re singing… (8)