Things That Shifted My View

Do you ever worry that you're too old to be as profoundly affected by people, experiences, and ideas as you were when you were young? Sometimes I think that all the cynicism we acquire throughout our lives makes it impossible for us to be blown away by someone or something, which I'm guessing is why people seem to become so bored and complacent the older they get. I'm glad I'm not there yet.

At 28 years old, I don't feel finished...I don't feel like I'm done acquiring experiences and having those moments that shift the way I view the world. Lately I'm starting to see that this was an underlying reason why I left a comfortable, five year long relationship in San Francisco and moved back to Los Angeles. I didn't feel finished. I wasn't ready, and I didn't feel like I was having those moments of profoundness anymore...those moments that askew your view of the world just slightly.

Here are some things that blew my mind when I was younger:

Aside from his every-other-weekend stint, my dad would have us a couple weeks each summer, and we'd always drive for hours and hours to some beautiful forest, where we'd camp. During those long drives up winding mountain roads which had no radio reception, we had a choice between listening to the cassette of bagpipe music my dad brought, or Paul Simon's Graceland. I loved this album with all my heart. I still do.

My first crush. This show will always have a special place in my heart.

My mom's huge black Cadillac. Driving from Orange County to Los Angeles for Hanukkah at my Grandma's house. Tucked into the huge, cushy back seat with a pillow. This is what we always listened to. When Dudley Moore died, this is what I thought of.

Roald Dahl was the author who shaped my obsession with books. After my mom read these to me before bed, I started reading and rereading them on my own. It wasn't just the stories I loved - I felt like I knew the characters. I think a lot of my personality, and how I view the world, is based on a handful of books I loved when I was a child.

I don't even have the words to describe my love for Douglas Adams. I've written and rewritten this blurb about six times. There just aren't any words.

Read about the best day of my life here. Ray Bradbury is the main character.

Anything I could possibly say about Kurt Vonnegut would be a cliche. I know I'm not unique in my love for his books, but when I was in high school, and no one else I knew had heard of him, I felt like I had found a buried treasure.

There was a year or so during my adolescence where I read every single book by Steven King. When I'd finish the last line of a book, I'd peel the paperback cover off and hang it on my wall with a thumbtack. I think I had about 13 when I gave it up. His books scared the shit out of me. It was wonderful fuel for my insomnia.

Loved. Just loved.

This was the first record I ever bought. It completely shifted my view. Completely.

I saw this movie again recently and it doesn't really stand the test of time. At 13 years old, though, this movie was amazing. The soundtrack is great, too.

So many great songs and bands that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Agent Orange, Minutemen, Twisted Roots, Redd Kross, Little Girls. Oof...I loved this album.

Sitting on the edge of my brother's bed after he insisted that I listen to a new album he got. A few seconds into the first song, Little Birdy, and I was floored. I'd never heard anything like it before.

I wore out this cassette in my mom's little Toyota that I'd drive around Orange County without a license. I still think it's one of the best albums ever ever.