This is the time of your life, but you just can’t tell

“When I used to go out, I knew everyone I saw. Now I go out alone if I go out at all.” -The Walkmen “The Rat”

This 2005 indie hit was the soundtrack to a magical window in my life, the glorious coming-of- age years between 2005 and 2009 when I was between 22 and 26. During these precious four years I was going out a minimum of once a week with my sister, friends, and boyfriends to all the Indie/hipster clubs, bars, house parties, art walks, and special invite-only events all over L.A.
I knew a lot of people I would run into. They were other scenesters who were regulars just like I was. Some were my friends from college. Others were my friends from Hollywood. It was during those years that I was coming of age with those closest to me. I was merely not part of the scene, but was among those “in the know” who was helping to carve it out. We were discovering life and savoring the newness of young adult independence. I knew the time would come when my “scene” would migrate and change. My social invitations would slow down as we started to drift away from each other with college graduation, careers, life changing moves, and other necessary adult goals. That time for me came in 2010. As we pursued other interests and obligations, I knew I would be going out alone if I would go out at all. Life would still be fun for me, just a more responsible kind of fun. Nothing would quite be the same as those formative years when we each had our finger on the pulse just being irresponsible, carefree, and living life with an innocent sense of self discovery and vigor that can never quite be recaptured.
I was recently discovering the app called Songza which selects playlists based on your mood and what you’re doing (it’s pretty cool and worth checking out). I perused the Indie playlists until I came across a mix called “On the Indie dancefloor The ’00s.” Every song I enjoyed on the dancefloor during 2005-2009 re-entered my life like a long lost friend. A flood of fond memories came rushing over me. I was young, happy, and alive once again. When MGMT’s “Kids” came on, I was suddenly transported back in time to 2009, dancing the night away at an L.A. house party to that song. I was one of those “party kids” who took other kids by the hand to enter our version of Never Never Land where we were stuck in a moment of fantasy. When Hot Chip’s “Over and Over” came on, I was taken back to an L.A. club feeling primal and sweaty with my sister and friends on the dancefloor laughing about boys. At the ripe age of 30, I don’t really feel like I qualify as being old enough to reminisce about when I used to feel alive, young, happy, and carefree. I feel as though the ‘noughts not ought to have come and gone so quickly. Do any of you have a time in your life accompanied by a musical soundtrack that reminds you of being young, happy, innocently worryfree and not burdened with the pressures of adulthood? Please share below 🙂