Graduation: music for moving on
photo by ravi bhalla
Last summer my family and I took a trip to India with our family friends and their son, Ravi. Our car trip to Leh, in northern India, brought us closer together. We helped each other find rocks to squat behind and shared rolls of toilet paper that we carried in our bags.
Once we reached Leh, we were surrounded by the mantra, “Om Mani Padme Hum” that was carved into stones and prayer wheels all around Leh. We replaced the word “Mani” with our friend’s name, “Ravi.” And now when we feel nostalgic for the journey we traveled together, we text each other “Om Ravi Padme Hum.”
Saying mantras out loud is supposed to be – well, I’d call it therapeutic. Even the way the words vibrate on your lips and the way the air escapes from your mouth is supposed to affect you spiritually.
This graduation may be about remembering or even forgetting people you’ve grown close to. Imbibe a mantra to create the strength you need to move on.
I think we all feel that lyrics – sung words – can affect the way we feel. Here is a song to forget and another to remember. As Dave Matthews sings, “One drink to remember, then another to forget”.
To Forget: If you listen to Yeasayer’s “O.N.E.”, the emphasis of certain words and the echoes of others create a sense of empowerment. The words, “No, you don’t move me anymore, and I’m glad that you don’t” are exactly what we need to tell ourselves if we want to move on.
To Remember: Listen to Radiohead’s “A Reminder.” The song itself if supposed to function as a reminder of past love. It begins with haunting echo of someone announcing flights over an airport speaker. The last couple lines are,
Whatever happens
If we’re still speaking
Pick up the phone
Play me this song.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 12:00 PM and is filed under Larissa's Rants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:03 PM
Paloma says:Very eloquent post, although I’m not sure exactly how to imbibe a mantra. I love the song suggestions. This was just what I needed, as always.
May 25th, 2010 at 6:11 PM
Larissa says:haha. you can interpret that however you want. miss you!