The Nostalgia Machine
My first writing assignment tonight was to visit the website The Nostalgia Machine.
It is a pretty cool website where you enter any year and it pulls up all the popular songs for that year. For tonight’s assignment, I chose the year I was 13 years old, 2001. The first popular song I recognized from that year was Falling by Alicia Keys. As I listen to Alicia sing about loving someone more than she ever has and banging out every matching note to her voice on the piano at 3:11 am, it takes me back to my tiny apartment 18 years ago.
Where did you live?
Oak Creek Apartments In Memphis, TN on the border of the hood, right in front of the train tracks on Southern Avenue.
What year you were in school?
It was the summer before 7th grade and we were about to move to Bartlett which was the nicer part of Memphis. I cannot remember if I was crushing on anyone at the time, but knowing me I probably had several crushes. Anyways I used to see this music video, Falling, almost every afternoon once I got home from band camp. I used to search all over the place for someone that could do my hair exactly like Alicia Keys in that video, I still remember! Her voice was so magical. She was so popular at the time and still is. Once I started 7th grade I would walk in the girls bathroom during lunch and there would always be someone trying to belt out an Alicia Keys song.
The most significant thing happening during the time was just the move to Bartlett. It was important to us because it was a come up. We were no longer in the hood, or near it. The new apartment was bigger, nicer and had washer and dryer hookups. We lived there, I think the street was Arbor View Court for the remainder of my school years. Which was longer than I have lived anywhere to this day.
Who were your friends?
I believe my only friend at the time was Chew Shannon, whom I met at band camp. We were the only two trombone players. I was the only girl. We were real close until 10th grade we he had to transfer to Central High because of stricter school district rules.
What was happening in the news?
This was the year of the trade tower tragedies in New York City. As it was happening multiple classes were combined into one room at school to watch the events play out on the news. I remember watching the planes, no one really knew what was happening until the buildings were collapsing. We were all in shock. I will never forget the faces of the people running to escape the smoke that came after. Or the feeling when the news accidentally broadcasted the people jumping out of the windows of the skyscrapers to escape the fire/collapse of the towers. I think the networks were in just as much shock as the rest of the nation.
What were your secrets that year?
I did not have any secrets that year. As usual I was just busy trying to figure out who I was and what I liked. I was extremely shy and was trying to figure out a way out of that. And how to get more friends and dates which didn't happen until 11th grade when I became a rebel. But thats a story for another time. This is the story of my 13th year :)
