Flannel

Shuffling through my iPod I was reminded of a different time. "How's it Going to Be" by Third Eye Blind hit the mix and suddenly I was back in my old room watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the WB. My walls were plastered with random film posters and on the floor next to my bed was the screenplay to Scream.

This was a time where anything was possible. Some good, some bad. I remember desperately wanting to fit in with my school mates, so I begged and pleaded for a an electric guitar for my birthday. One of my good friends had just gotten a set of drums and two other classmates bought an electric guitar and one acoustic. It was the idea that we could all ingeniously pick up on these instruments and form a band.

This was the time when Nirvana was cool, and not long after Kurts suicide. When grunge/pop rock was taking over the airwaves. When all we would listen to was Everclear, Green Day and occasionally Alanis Morrissete.

Now all you hear are Euro-dance beats set against an untalented R&B rap producers self proclaimed hip hop group. Or a whiny garble from a group of manicured and packaged "indie" group.

What happened to the anger and the angst? Nothing I hear reminds me of that bittersweet time. When so-called pop rock still sounded edgy.

When groups like Sublime or early No Doubt burst through the WB alienating audiences while also pleasing.

I wish so desperately that I could return to that time, where my biggest problem was mowing the grass on a weekend and getting my parents to drive me over to my friends house so we could strum away at our guitars, off key and out of synch.

Some were better than others with their instruments and eventually my talent for guitar faded out, like my piano playing, but if I could do it all over again I would.


Checked flannel,
combat boots,
where did the music go?

How,
the sound,
will turn around,
somethings were never meant to be explained.



With that she smiles, letting the mascara run down her face. She knew it was the end of it ,but was persistent enough to know that he would never talk to her again. Once her back was turned, he glanced over his shoulder with a hurt look in his eyes. He knew this was the biggest mistake, letting her walk away, but her destiny was greater than he ever would be. So with that he whispered "I'll always love you," and watched her walk off into the sunset, until he was utterly and miserably alone.