Last weekend we took a ride to Illinois to pop into a few stores. You see, they wear masks in Illinois and so I bring my business across the boarder. When I was making the audio selection for the drive I decided to let it be Spotify's choice. It is a good way to meander through new music that aligns with the genres I enjoy. Well, last week, Spotify got it all wrong.
I have an eclectic choice in music. I can be found listening and singing along to the classic rock station, r&b, alternative, pop, 90s, jam bands, rap, etc.You will never find me bopping my head to country unless it is a song introduced to me by my niece's girl scout troop while on a camping trip. It isn't necessarily the song, but rather the memory. The smile that comes across my face when Chicken Fried, Should Have Been a Cowboy, or Priscilla come across one of my playlists is one that emulates the same joy I felt with those smart, talented, stubborn, argumentative, kind girls.
Several years ago I had the great opportunity to go camping on Assateague Island and the soundtrack of that trip ranged from Don McLean, Billie Eilish, Catie Turner, Justin Beiber, Johnny Cash, etc. The following year when camping in the Outer Banks I proudly pulled up Spotify and hit play on the playlist they created for me the prior year. I, of course, started with Chicken Fried by Zac Brown because the sing along in the back seat is what endeared me to the damn song. Over the past year I had joy in my heart every time these songs came through my ear buds, and was often found dancing around the house. Imagine my disappointment when the following year, when camping in the Outer Banks, I gleefully pulled up the old playlist queued up Chicken Fried and hit play and they all groaned while I bopped in the front seat. I was even more devastated when their earbuds hit their ears to drown out the bit of joy that one song brought me. Just writing this story brought tears to my eyes.
Anyway, I quickly brushed it off to the teenage girl effect. I mean, of course their music taste was going to evolve in one year and so I handed them my phone to add to the old girl scout play list and started hearing the unfamiliar pound through some really bad minivan speakers. More Billie Eilish, Ethan Jewell (his music is enough to put anyone into a deep depression), Lizzo, and Jasmine Thompson singing Macy Gray. I about burst into even more tears, but I didn't (that happened at another point on the trip) and opted to embrace the music. To this day I dance around my house to Lizzo, and go and cry in a dark corner to Ethan Jewel, just to have the opportunity to reconnect with the joy those girls brought me. *I can imagine the eye rolls if any of them came across this post...
Last weekend, as I was driving to Illinois to run a few errands the Spotify algorithm got it all wrong. I swear, there are four rotating country songs in my playlist and here Spotify was spitting out the twangiest, pickup truck lovin, heartbreak trauma, beer drinkin, soul crushing country music they could find. How did they get it so wrong!
Well parallel that with my athletic journey. Like spotify, I'm stuck on country! Just because I enjoy Chicken Fried or Broken Halos does not mean I want to eat, breath, and sleep country; it means that I like those songs, period. Spotify should be smart enough to figure that out. Well, during the pandemic I have learned that I love baking random stuff, trying new Japanese recipes, exploring new kitchen gadgets, and enjoy the most abhorrent reality TV that exists. Over this past week I was talking with one of the people who I met through my athletic pursuits in the past and was talking with her about my ability to run without head phones. In fact it was my preferred way of running. Not only did I run without headphones, I ran without a watch. I'd map my run, check the clock, and go. If I really wanted to know how long it took I would check the clock when I got home. I have a lot to do to get me to a place where running will again be as joyful, but I want it so bad I can taste it. It's amazing how cooking decadent cakes can shift your brain to the point of forgetting the incredible joy running without technology.
The real lesson to me is if I desire for Spotify to correct and include all of my music genres I need to retrain Spotify by intentionally choosing good music on my own. Similarly, I need to retrain myself to run without headphones.
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