in 1986 when I was 8 years old, I got my first ghetto blaster and my first tape. the ghetto blaster was a cheap, single deck sears brand, and the tape was Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet.

other important memories are tied to music. I remember my first cd player and first cd. (cheap Sony single disc, and Queen's Greatest Hits.) I spent many, many hours trapped in the car on long road trips being forced to listen to my parent's music. this was especially horrifying when I was young for a variety of reasons; from what they chose to play to the fact that neither one of them can actually carry a tune, but that never stopped them from singing. as an adult, this has developed into me actually liking some of their music I used to hate. my husband and I danced to Dave Matthew's Band's "Crash Into Me" at our wedding. we even had a bearded dragon who always seemed to respond happily whenever "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel would come on. it still reminds me of her.