This post is sort of inspired by Sach’s dark musical trip and RD’s confession about liking high-pitched boy bands. I’ve gone on ad nauseum about how certain songs take me to happy, happy places where the beach and long legs in black, frilly mini-skirts rollick hand in hand (so to speak). But there are also songs that take me as they did Sach to a very dark place in my life, a time when I truly lost faith in humanity, trust, love and all that jazz. Thankfully a good dose of Old Reserve, R and a bout of womanizing helped me get over the immediate pain, but I think I’ve only truly come to terms with what happened last year, give or take.

I’m sure you’re scratching your head right now wandering what the hell the guilty secret that was I implied by the title, as opposed to the psychobabble I’m going on about. Well it’s a secret that when I reveal to my indie music friends, both British and Sri Lankan, they look at me as if I professed an undying desire to bugger Tony Blair while Cherie spanked me with a leather paddle. Before my favourite band was Snow Patrol and long after it was Boyz II Men, my all time favourite band was Matchbox 20. I still love all three of their albums from Yourself or Someone Like You to More Than You Think You Are. Unfortunately the latter album coincided with the dark period of my life, particularly an obsession with one track, Rest Stop. Listen to the song, trust me, the coincidences in life are truly weird sometimes and have to be experienced to be believed. And that song became an anthem of darkness for me.

Anyways last night in a fit of sadomachosicm, I put Rest Stop on and what do you figure happened? Absolutely nothing…no darkness…no pain…just an appreciation of what is still to me a lovely tune. Go figure, it took a listening to a song to truly appreciate that I actually have achieved closure. Not in a simplistic way of getting over a relationship but actually healing, changing and well…changing.

P.S. I did of course feel miserable in the morning, but I reckon that was probably due to waking up at 6am to hop on the 405 for an hour and then wandering around UCLA for another hour trying to find a room where I was supposed to get enlightened about NEPA. Needless to say today has not been one of my better days, though the considerable amount of totty on display at UCLA was nice, if a bit depressing.