“Exploring life through fiction, together.”

I bought an album this week. I’ve cried every time I’ve listened to it. There’s such raw feelings welded to the music.

I’ve also been unpacking after a house move. I stuck on a few albums from years back. Albums I loved, albums that moved me. Despite the chasm of time, they still shook me, opening pockets of myself I forgot existed.

Fiction Bite - Tears in the Afternoon

My daughter won’t stop crying. She won’t tell me why. I hold her tiny, shaking body as her tears soak through my shirt. She buries her head in my chest. I bury my nose in her hair. We sit. And she cries. And we sit. And she cries. Outside the traffic swells, then fades. Finally, she lifts her head and pushes her nose against mine. Her bloodshot eyes glow red. She smiles, tears still running down her cheek.

“Don’t worry, Daddy. Everything will be ok.”

She hops down and starts a jigsaw, singing to herself as I curl in the armchair.

Quote of the Week

“We are so much bigger than

Another one can ever see

But trying is the point of life

So don’t stop trying, promise me” - Amanda Palmer. Bigger on the Inside.

Book recommendation - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry [Children’s Fiction]

Final Words

I used to play Ride of the Valkyries whenever I was flying in a video game. Even now I’m amped after the first few bars. I write to Lofi Hip Hop, nothing else seems to work. With a few clicks and a pair of headphones, I’m creative. Yet often I select music to match my mood, not to change it.

So I have a choice. Should I engineer my soundscape for happiness? Or should I amplify sadness with soundtracks?

With Love,

Josiah

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