I recently picked up Rob Sheffield’s book Talking To Girls About Duran Duran.  Sheffield, a contributing editor for Rolling Stone, recounts life’s hazy yet magical memories growing up in the 80′s through a series of songs reminiscent of a mix tape.  One song triggers recollections of the dangers of crossing a bridge on his way home from school if the high schoolers got their first.  Any and every American school boy has been in this situation.  Actually, in light of today’s health crisis, this is a good way to make kids walk a little bit more every day.  Plant a bunch of older, scarier, but emotionally hollow kids in their path home.  Adios weight gain.

And this book, although I’m only a few chapters in, has shown me insight into my own synaptic wiring.  Music has and always will be an integral part of my life, but it means more to Sheffield than it does to me.  However, my love for video games matches his love for music.  Anytime I hear Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera, I think of my high school girlfriend’s hot tub.  When I hear Thunderstruck by AC/DC I am instantly in the tunnel waiting to run out onto the basketball court.  Music puts me in a time and place, but I don’t necessarily share those times and places with other people.  I have closed that chapter without need for rehashing, and not because they are not fond memories.

I can, however, dip into a state of sorrow and vengeance for Sephiroth that ended Aeris’ time on Earth.  I have never shared a hatred for another character, in book, film, or game, like I have for that guy.  Sephiroth was to me as Neo was to the trenchcoats.  Final Fantasy VII can do that for me, Duran Duran can’t.

I can also transplant my mind to the grassy plains upon hearing “Zelda’s Lullaby” for Nintendo 64′s The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time.  And no matter how hard you try, try getting pissed off while listening to the Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. You can’t.  That’s not even a challenge, it’s a fact.

Everybody has that one thing in their life that autosaves memories.  For Sheffield, it’s music.  For me, it’s video games (and their music).  I never counted myself in with the musical crowd in my adolescence, and I don’t mean fucking choir.  I mean mix tapes (although I made them) and concerts.  Music was never the bridge, video games were.