Oh my God. I am going to have to officially declare myself a loser. It's 10 p.m. on a Saturday night and I am a) home alone b) listening to the 1990s music channel on TV c) online and d) the song happens to be "Step by Step" by New Kids on the Block, circa 1990-91...and for those of you who were previous fans of NKOTB, this song wasn't even cool back then! They had already jumped the shark by the time I was in sixth grade. (And the song is absolutely terrible.)

For the most part, though, this particular music channel evokes a wide variety of positive emotions in me. The 90s played such a dynamic role in my life--I guess because between the ages of 10 and 20, I established so much of who I eventually became. Whether dealing wtih braces or boyfriends or learning about love, friendship and loss, I remember listening to the radio on a daily basis and completely (melodramatically??) empathizing with the person singing the lyrics. (Example: "I Love Your Smile" by Shanice, "or, oh wait, here is an actual journal line from July 6, 1993: Oh, God! The song “Someday” by Mariah Carey is on—the one I sang all day after Matt and I broke up. You know how it goes, “Someday, the one you gave away will be the only one you’re wishin’ 4!” Well, I am. Anyway, if you haven’t already guessed, we’re goin’ out again. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really like him.") Memories always have a tendency to embed themselves throughout the lyrics for me...I can't listen to certain songs without being transported back in time. It makes me smile to hear "More Than Words" by Extreme, and this afternoon Laurie, Ange and I tested out our lung power with hits by Alanis Morrisette, Matchbox 20 and Usher, to name a few.

One of my favorite music periods was during the late 90s when I was finishing my senior year at Masuk and entering UConn as a freshman. For some reason, a number of songs from this timeframe evoke a poignant sense of nostalgia every time I listen to them...some of them were probably from "Dawson's Creek," others were dorm favorites and of course many songs from 1997 remind me of high school graduation, prom, random car rides with friends, etc. Ugh. The song "Jump" by Kriss Kross just came on, making me want to retract my previous statement...oh and now "Butterfly Kisses." BARF. I'm going to sign off now.