Music-evoked Memory

I have always been fascinated with music and its power to evoke memories and feelings from a specific time of our lives. Today I felt like sharing an email I have received from a very special person, which warmed my heart this Sunday morning. There are some traits in this email that well represent part of my own experience as well. I had permission to share the lines below written by an anonymous author. Guesses for the identity are opened!

Here we go.

This morning, while carrying out my weekly house-cleaning tasks, the radio played one of my favourite songs (Just Something Like This - Coldplay) and this suddenly reminded me of happy times spent in a city that will always hold a special place in my heart: York, England. (..how we ended up here in the South of England, is a story for another time). For now, I just wanted to focus on what this song means to me and share it with you as I’m sure all of you have experienced the same thing at least once in your life.

February 2017 - I had recently moved into the UK and found my very first job here. It was a cold winter and I used to work on a late shift from 2pm to 10pm. It took me about 30 mins to get to work by bike, most of the times in the rain (British weather.. you know!), but when I think about those times they’re still among the happiest in my mind. I used to listen to this particular song almost every day on my way back from work so, hearing it always brings me back to that specific period of my life. The job itself wasn’t the most exciting one, however I was grateful for it because I knew it was giving me the opportunity to achieve what I’ve always wanted as a child: to live abroad for some time and learn how to speak English. As days passed I felt more and more confident in talking to people and excited by my ability to understand them. Every day during my ride back from work, with my earphones plugged in, I had the chance to reflect on my progress, think about my new beginning, make plans and imagine my future.

I believe this is the real reason why listening to this song has a positive effect on me, because it reminds me of how beautiful simplicity can be. In that exact moment, my bike and my earphones were all I needed to feel light-hearted, energised and positive.

Do you have a song that makes you feel the same way?