Love at First Wind

I had never been one to listen to "old" music, nor had I ever been one to save trash off the street, but this day was different. I was walking home from school, on a fine fall Wednesday afternoon when I almost crushed a cassette tape under my red high-tops. If I hadn't crushed the case, which was laying separate, I would have never known. I was quick to snatch it up and take it home. I knew what it was but had no idea how I was going to play it. I tossed the tape around and around in my hand, trying to read the faded writing on it. It was damn near impossible to make out what it said, but I felt like I had to listen to this tape. It was my destiny. I grabbed the tape, my secret money stash, and my phone and hopped onto my bike towards downtown. I pulled up to the record store I remember my Mom talking about when I was younger, and tied up the bike outside. I walked in, the jingle of a door bell greeting me, and I slid the tape over the counter. I asked the "old" clerk, "I need to listen to this tape." He just laughed and held up a finger before wandering to the back room to dig around for what felt like forever. He finally emerged, holding a dusty box that read Sony Walkman on it. He slid it across the counter to me and said, "Been a while since anyones bought one of these. Here ya go. Thats $20 even." He was holding out his hand in an eager manner, annoyed that he didn't have his cash fast enough. Serves him right though, after taking so long to find the damn thing. I threw the cash in his hand, took the box, and abruptly left the building. I opened up the box and popped in the tape. Feeling too embarrassed to go back in and ask how to work the Walkman, I spent a good while next to my bike trying to work it. I finally put in my headphones and pressed play. The first notes of R.E.M.s Finest Worksong came through loud and clear and blessed my ears. I had no idea what I was listening to, but it was transcendent. Flipping the tape over, The One I Love comes on and takes you on a real musical journey. I had obviously never heard of R.E.M. until today, but I was already in love. When I arrived home, I asked my dad about the band on the cassette tape. He gave them a good listen before he told me that he and my mom saw them when they used to open at the 40 Watt in Athens back before they got big. They used to love R.E.M. but after she died he sort of stopped listening to them. He just held the tape and smiled a sad smile. The following week, I returned to the record store and purchased every R.E.M. tape they had. I thrifted milk crates, and empty boxes and filled my dark wood-paneled room with stacks and stacks of R.E.M., The Smiths, U2, Talking Heads, 10,000 Maniacs, Bauhaus, and The B-52's to name a few. I plastered the walls with their posters, and old Christmas lights I found in the basement, and spared no expense in redecorating the once dull space. I had filled every corner of that room with books, posters,and music. I had finally found myself, and all through love at first wind.