That New Year Post

I decided to listen to some Tom Petty on my way to work this morning. I cued him up on Spotify and just started a random playlist. The first song that played, I didn’t know.

Still, that familiar “damn, Tom Petty is SO GOOD” feeling washed over me. Then some of the standards played next: Breakdown, American Girl, Last Dance with Mary Jane…

Tom Petty died October 2nd 2017. A couple of weeks later, my Dad died.

Listening to Tom Petty made me realize how much of 2018 I kind of wrote off. I didn’t do a good job of mourning my Father’s passing. I didn’t really deal with Tom Petty’s passing either. I think I put myself on automatic, dealt with things as they came, avoided any kind of reflection.

The more I listened, the more I wanted to hear. I ended up going into work, putting on my headphones and listening for 3+ hours straight.

I suspect this means something good. I don’t exactly know what. Oddest of things, to pair my Father with Tom Petty. But it’s there.

I can’t say that I’m recovering from trauma or finally healing or emotionally and spiritually getting better. I’m just glad that I’m listening to Tom Petty’s music. And can think about my Dad without feeling broken. Scratch that, I still feel broken when I think about him.

I do know that I don’t want to skip over 2019 in the same ways I did 2018. Writing here is part of that. I’m also planning on practicing, writing, and performing more music myself this year.

And I bet whatever material I come up will have something to do with my Dad and 2018. And most definitely be influenced by Tom Petty.

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