Until they perfect the time machine, music may be our best alternative for time travel. A certain song can instantly transport your mind back to vivid memories of places, feelings, time-periods and people. In 1998, I made the fateful decision to leave Pennsylvania and move south to Charlotte, North Carolina. To this day, the move remains the boldest risk I have ever taken. Knowing that things would never be the same was obvious from the instant that the decision was considered. Leaving friends and family was heart- wrenching yet refusing the opportunity would lead to tortured years of thinking about "What If ??" Beyond all the fear and doubt, I know this was a rare opportunity for a fresh start and the promise of a better life for my family.
So that is where my head was in early 1998. At a pivotal crossroad, filled with a mix of melancholy and nervous excitement, I discovered the perfect soundtrack for the battle raging in my mind and heart:
Bob Dylan- Time Out of Mind
An old friend gave me a copy of Dylan's 1997 CD and I was immediately drawn to the dark atmosphere that surrounded the entire piece of work. Bob Dylan's music has always been special to me and this unexpected classic from his fourth decade in entertainment helped me through a critical time of transition. Although I will always treasure the memories of my pre-1998 life, the move away from my hometown and all I had known delivered more moments of joy, happiness and wonder than I could have ever dreamed of.
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