If there were a Spotify playlist for this year, but for life events, it would be a compilation of less-than-joyful moments from days gone by, a garbage fire of memories. However, despite my cynicism, there were also moments of joy in my life that made this year enjoyable.
As the year comes to a close, I have sentiments about the year that I’d like to share with you. If you ever find yourself in a pickle at school, go get an ice cream. Life is too short to be stuck worrying about something that won’t matter the next day.
If I could pick one song to sum up my year, it would be “party 4 u” by Charli XCX. I feel like this year has been the year of missed chances for me, missed moments and a sense of yearning for something I cannot even put a name to.
In the song, Charli repeats the same sentence over and over again, resembling the broken track of this year that just keeps playing — “Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on/Party on you, party on you, party on.”
For me, the lyrics resemble my life. I feel like it was always happening to me, never with me.
Another song I would queue up to represent this year would be “Starstruck” by Lady Gaga. There’s just something so motivating about strutting down the hallways on campus as your heels click with each step while blasting this song. I solely attribute passing all my midterms this semester to listening to this song. If you need a motivating track, I highly recommend this one.
For my next act — or, should I say, the next song on my playlist of life events — I would choose “The Wild Rover” by the Pogues. They are a band with Irish roots, and as a person with Irish roots myself, how could I not include an Irish pub song on this Manitoban Comment wrapped? This song resonated with my time in Ireland, where I would constantly hear this song wafting from the corner of almost every pub I visited. It makes me feel nostalgic for the moments in Ireland I didn’t even know I would yearn for again.
This year, although filled with song choices that might suggest self-wallowing, model walking and pub tunes, is, on a larger scale, a period of self-growth and development.
My last piece of advice before the year ends will be borrowed from A Charlie Brown Christmas, spoken by Charlie Brown himself. “This little green one here seems to need a home […] We’ll decorate it, and it’ll be just right for our play. Besides, I think it needs me.” I think this quote shows that perhaps we should see the merit and appreciation in small gestures and moments. For all those reading this article, I hope you have a happy holiday and a great New Year.
