Music, Memories, and Finding Connection

Yesterday, I met with my public relations rep. I discussed the new informal series I have been working on regarding Music, Mental Health, and Addiction. I have already written the first two installments of this series and discussed Eminem and his impact on the perspectives surrounding addiction and recovery.

After talking with him (Steven, the PR Rep) and sharing why music is such a massive part of my life, he suggested I share the story I am about to tell now. After thinking about it, I decided it is fitting for the direction this blog has been going with the new series and how it also ties into the topic of mental health. — Jamie

Inspiration from “Everybody Has a Story”

I grew up in a home where music was a constant; whether in the car or at home, there always seemed to be music. My mom liked old country and pop (it wasn’t old then — but it is now), and my dad liked more of the 70s and 80s rock. I would say his favorite artist by far was Stevie Ray Vaughn since he could play the guitar behind his back, and honestly, he was just another music artist with a fantastic story.

If you didn’t know, I am a sucker for stories. I love to hear people’s back stories, and this started because of a show aired in 1998 by Steve Hartman, a news correspondent for CBS (Wikipedia, n.d.).

It was a series called Everybody Has a Story. Hartman would throw a dart at a map and travel wherever it landed. Then, he would select someone…