I no longer enjoy shopping for used CDs. I know, crazy isn't it? It used to be quite the past time for me. I could think of nothing better than spending the greater part of an afternoon holed up in some crummy used CD shop thumbing through grimmy used discs waiting to find that one rare disc to add to my already overwhelming collection. I'd stand there for hours, hunched over an endless sea of polymer, squinting at album titles in the dim light, beeds of sweat starting to form on my body as I realize the air conditioning is, as always, no match for this small space. Rapidly skipping the Britney Spears singles, the Sublime bootlegs, the random albums that some record exec somewhere should be ashamed of after letting such a horrific 52 minutes of noise be released on their label. I keep searching and searching as the hours pass. Hunger, thirst, the need to pee, these things I suppress as the hunt continues. The stale stench of body odor and mildew are no match for my heightened state of awareness as I move on. Backstreet Boys, Lita Ford, Savage Garden, a cornacopia of the crap America used to listen to before we discovered the error of our ways and sold our former precious things for pennies on the dollar. Still I press on. I can feel it getting close. The scent of discovery is near. My neck starts to cramp as hour number three comes and goes, still awaiting for that moment of glory when this exercise of dedication presents its award. I feel my pupils dilate, as album title after album title are processed by my over clocked brain. For a moment I feel connected to my ancestors, as they hunt for game over the plains of, somewhere. We are as one, searching, hunting, feeling so alive. Then I see it. Finally. The plastic case seems to be just a little brighter, the font just a bit more legible. Could it be? It is! Chamberlain's The Moon My Saddle! Such an amazing album, just sitting here, waiting for discovery! Who would have ever thought that such a gem of an album could be sitting here for only $7.99? Pure amazement and joy flood my body as I pull this prize from the rack and take a closer look. It is beautiful, a perfect specimen. Barely played, free of all scratches and smudges. The liner notes intact and crisp. That tiny hole in the bar code. Simply breath-taking. It's too bad I already have two copies. I put it back with a knowing smile, knowing that someday, someone will find this piece of art, and they will leave the store with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that their day has been worthwhile. Me? I continue the search. Only 23 letters of the alphabet to go.
Yeah. I'm done with this crap. You other people can continue the hunt. I'm loading up iTunes. Where's my credit card?
1 comment:
Wow! I can't believe it. Are you sure its not just a phase? I was just thinking about your music collection the other day because I was remembering how your collection on itunes said you had over 365 days of music but then you discovered that one file that was a couple of gigs or something and it took the time down. You have more cds than anyone I know lol
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