Associate to Disassociation

So as I sat on my couch around one am today, watching the snow swirl in harried circles against the window panes, I got to thinking. This is a normal thing for me, late at night, because after a while you tend to run out of things to do.
I'd just gotten home from Sam's, where I'd stayed much later than I was allowed, or even previously intended. But I guess all things could quite possibly happen for a reason. I had also just finished a rather in depth conversation with Jorden. We tend to have these little moments on the not so rare occasions when Sam falls asleep and can't take me home.
With a lot on my mind and no where to put it, I took my bowl of grapes and mug of milk, and settled down onto my blanket-covered couch to contemplate the aggravating weather, and to mull over everything in general.
After a few moments of musing, something of no importance caught my attention.
The hum of the heater going.
Just a little later, as I scrolled through the ringtones on my phone, trying to pick a new one, a few of the tunes I have had since I first had a cellphone caught my attention.
Which is where this blog comes into play.
I'm sure that when I say that I strongly associate sound with memories, a lot of people can relate.
A couple of examples.
The heater. For one, I have heard that sound since I was born, pretty much, because I have lived in this house ever since the day my parents brought me home from the adoption agency. It is a late night sound, one of warmth and comfort, and brings such feelings with it.
The song Paranoid Android. I had that as my ringtone for all the couple months I slept over at Sam's all the time and broke curfew like one would break pencil led.
(Yes, that was a TOTALLY pointless analogy.)
An excess of bands of course come to mind, music being key in unlocking different memories. I have a song for every boyfriend, a band for every season, an album for every year of high school. Not that I spent too many there. =)
For Sam there is Lil' Wayne, Tha Carter III album.
I'm In Miami Bitch for Jorden.
Hinder for Mike, and the song Everything by Lifehouse.
Chasing Cars for Preston.
I Think We're Alone Now for Brantley.
Snow Patrol for my sophmore year, specifically my history class.
Tegan and Sara...for a multitude of reasons.
I promise I could go on for ages. Those are just the instant ones that come to mind.
And one more thing about a heater.
This morning, when I went to IHOP with Sam, Jorden and Lana, for Lana's birthday, when we got home (to the apartment, but same difference to me), I heard their heater going off. It was still dark outside, and everything was very quiet. The hum of that heater was what I fell asleep to almost every Friday night for two months. It reminded me of Sam very strongly, but also of friends, peace, content, happiness.
I just find it fascinating how the brain has such a strong association to things with sound. Pick out a memory in your life, preferably something remotely significant, and I am pretty sure you're going to be able to pick out a sound to go with it.
Thought I'd throw that out there.
Also quite interesting how your brain proceeds to reject sounds that tend to remind you of significantly painful memories. I still can't listen to a lot of music that I did when I was dating different guys. Not because it any longer gets to me, but more to leave the memories where they belong, far in the past.
But some things are recent enough where my mind just instantly rejects the thought of the instant replays it knows are coming when I turn on certain music.
Anberlin is a band that comes to mind.
The song Paralyzed.
I Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.
The Maine.
Tha Carter III.
Best I Ever Had by Vertical Horizon
Not all of these are negative. Actually, only two really are. But my mind still doesn't want to hear all this, because it want's to preserve the memories that are so strongly linked to this music.

Okay, I think I have gone on long enough. You probably lost interest a while ago. I have just been picking up on auditory memory so much lately I wanted to get it out of my head.
Much love, goodnight.
-Nessa-

The past is the past, there for us to learn from, not to mourn.
The present is where we struggle to understand what we are to gain from this.
And the future is where we will look back and finally realize what it all meant.