if only we are pilots once a day

I sometimes find myself surprised to be sitting around at a bar drinking with my friends; to be calculating my expenses and referencing my bank account; waking up at an early hour to get to my job where other people rely on me; or just realizing that I'm actually capable of taking care of myself. It's strange to recognize how, over time, you have changed and grown up. And it becomes apparent in small and unusual ways.

On the days where I don't have to be at work until 10am, I've taken to walking rather than riding the subway. Most people seem to think it's a bit ridiculous--it's only about three miles--but I find it quite pleasant, as an opportunity to be outside and to have some time for myself. While the weather can determine how enjoyable the walk may be, the proper soundtrack is also imperative. Lately, I've been listening to my most recently downloaded songs, carefully arranged into my "new" (inventive title, I know) playlist. A few days ago, I added a few songs by The Notwist to my playlist, a band I've known about for a number of years, but have not, until now, had the pleasure of falling in love with.

When I studied abroad in Ireland, I made a music video for a local band called Halite. On the day of my shoot I had my Ipod laying about and the lead singer, Graham Hopkins, asked if he could take a look at what music I had--which is the one of the few ways I don't mind being judged. His overall consensus was that I generally had very good taste with a few obvious guilty pleasures, and I was pleased with this response, since as a musician who seemed to have good taste himself, I valued his opinion. He was particularly excited that I had Pinback on my Ipod, explaining that "They're from San Diego," to which I replied, "I know. Me too!"

As a parting gift Graham gave me the CD "Faking the Books" by the band, Lali Puna, whose music is considered some amalgamation of German/indie/electro/pop, thinking that since I liked Pinback, I would like Lali Puna. I listened to the CD a lot, and eventually became familiar enough with the songs to like them. Years later, I've actually come to really like Lali Puna and listen to their music with much more enthusiasm than I did back in 2004. After graciously thanking him for the gift, Graham recommended that I listen to another German/indie/electro/pop band called The Notwist. I gave them a brief listen, and finding myself fairly uninspired kind of forgot about them until recently, when they've been popping up on a number of my favorite blogs. Since I trust the musical tastes of the bloggers who posted about The Notwist, I decided to give them another try, and to my surprise, found that I really like them. Had I not heard of them before, this band would have been my great new discovery.

Learning that I like a band I thought I didn't particularly care for, forces me to recognize that over time my tastes have changed--a telltale sign of growing up. Though it often seems the idea of "growing up" embodies negative connotations (who actually enjoys paying bills), perhaps there can be some benefits as well. If growing up also means re-discovering and appreciating great bands like the Notwist, it clearly isn't all bad.