Post by JVH (f/k/a Bob Dubilina) on Apr 28, 2007 1:02:19 GMT -5
The Ghost of You:
The Best Songs of 2006
CD II: Queen of Hearts – The Best of the Rest
The Best Songs of 2006
CD II: Queen of Hearts – The Best of the Rest
I first knew M. when I was a teenager. For as long as I could remember, my father lived on the island of Guam with his wife and my two half-siblings. When I was growing up, I would go to visit every other summer for six weeks at a time. My family was quite inseparable from M.'s, so I spent a lot of time getting to know her and her siblings. I always liked M. because, like me, she too was mature beyond her years and needed little prompting to challenge authority. I remembered her fondly for her scathing insults and sharp claws. Needless to say, she hated me because I was an opinionated bastard whose simple presence upset the power structure in her circle of friends.
Cut to eight years later. I had always been curious as to what had happened to M. – I imagined her even more cunning and fierce than ever as an adult – and I finally got my chance to find out when I ran into her sister at my Dad's wedding in October 2005. I solicited M.'s contact info, and when I got home, I sent off an e-mail with a quick summary of my life since she'd last seen me. M. responded with a vague (read: cautious) salutation and then once again disappeared out of my life . . . that is, until after the New Year when she sent me a more detailed update. A few e-mails turned into several phone calls, and before long it was decided that I should fly out to DC for the weekend for an long overdue reunion.
For the record, this was all pretty innocent at the time. Exhausted by my current situation with Laurie's death, fighting with my friends, the office politics at work and Chicago in general, I relished the idea of getting away and catching up with an old acquaintance that I was obviously getting along with a lot better than we ever had when we were young. It was only when I found myself single and alone a week before I was to fly out to see her that our auspicious tete-a-tetes even hinted at the possibility of seduction.
The moment I saw her upon my late-night arrival at DCA, I knew that I wanted this girl more than anything else in the world.
Falling in love with M. was easy. What made it complicated were the logistics of a long-distance relationship where between the both of us there was the baggage of recent break-ups, our close ties to the exes, skeptical friends and family, demanding work schedules and a graduation with honors looming on the horizon. Add two defiant personalities to the mix, and it's little wonder why we ran the gamut from blissful highs to severe lows so frequently.
Fortunately, things worked out well for me and M. in 2006. I moved to DC in the summer to be with her permanently and by fall had convinced her to put her career plans on hold to go with me on an extensive tour of China and Southeast Asia. Alas, not everything came up roses while abroad, especially toward the end of the year when the indefinite vacation had lost its charm on her, but after a brief split in early 2007 we would work our way back to those same feelings that we shared during our time in DC.
Through all of our ups and downs, M. and I shared a bond that I have never before experienced with another. Maybe it's the result of our ancient history mixed with our present chemistry. Maybe it's because we understand each other in a way that we don't dare trust others to even begin to comprehend. Or maybe it's nothing more than a run-o'-the-mill gypsy curse. Whatever it is, M. is my Queen of Hearts. She captivates and completes me like no other, and for that she will continue to earn my loyalty and love.
A posse ad esse, Miffer. A posse ad esse.
Justin Holt
"Bob Dubilina"
BFN Networks
Bob@BFNinYourEars.com
May 7, 2007
P.S. M. was quick to point out that most of the songs on this disc make for a poor dedication to the one I love. After all, the disc is named after her, and she didn't want people to think I was giving her a subconscious send-off. Therefore, I'd like to take a moment here to clarify that the titles of my compilations don't necessarily reflect whatever message or theme may thread these songs together. I'm simply doing my best to make a great mix CD and give it a badass title. If it's not documented here, it's speculation on your part. (For shame!)