Finding true joy

What makes the A happy? Well, it is definitely not world news and current events. I spend far too much time on the Internet reading all of the bad news of the day. So what is it that keeps me from going on a tri-state mass murder spree?? The only thing that keeps me reasonably sane is music. Yes music, my one true joy in life right now consists of parking my fat ass in front of my computer and firing up the old windows media player.

My idea of music differs quite a bit from the insufferable crap spewed out by modern radio stations. Sorry, but, Michael Jackson is not on my play list. I tend to listen to music played by real musicians who write and play their own material. Sadly, the idea of a guitar virtuoso has died out for the time being. I'm starting to get away from the main thrust of this post. My bad.

I have recently been adding to my collection of music in a rather unorthodox way that I will not reveal over the Internet. The music being added is pretty much the stuff that I listened to in the late 80's and early 90's. Good old fashioned power ballads from the long expired genre of "hair metal". Why is it that certain songs can have not only an emotional but physical effect on me?

I can listen to Bad Company or Deep Purple and instantly my mind takes me back to hanging out with my best friend from high school (who died shortly after we graduated). This music is just my own special way of time travel.

Certain songs (don't ask, I have no idea why) send a chill down my spine and cause the immediate outbreak of "goosebumps".
Crying by Yngwie Malmsteen
Mission by Rush
Silent Lucidity by Queensryche
High Enough by Damn Yankees
Hurt and The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash
The Confessor, All Night Long and Help Me Through The Night by Joe Walsh
These songs always have this affect on me. Something in these tunes reaches into my soul and fill me with joy? happiness? I don't quite know how to describe it but, I definitely feel good while listening to them. Since I no longer do drugs and rarely ever drink, I figure this is a pretty good high with little downside.


The A