My Gen X Playlist: Changes – David Bowie

Daily writing prompt

What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?

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Numbers. Everyday numbers. I’ve spent over 25 years knee deep in them. Cost analysis, financial projections, charts and graphs. Funny, because my favorite subject in high school was never math, my interest tended to gravitate towards english and writing. In college, I studied business, it seemed to stick and the rest is history. But I’ve always enjoyed writing. It’s just that writing about financial analysis never tickled my funny bone. So, last month, I decided to carve out this little place to write a few thoughts. There are no illusions of writing the next great novel or being a social media influencer, I think I’d rather run in the opposite direction. Instead, I’m occupying space in this little corner, jotting down a few words, mixed in with a song or two for flavor. If anyone happens to drop by, maybe they are reacquainted with music from their childhood and leave tapping their foot to the melody that is now looping in their head. Is this change? Probably not. No worries, it was never intended to be. In fact, I think this space is aimed more at changes in myself. These past months have been full of self-reflection and I’ve been processing the idea of reinventing myself. Taking a few lines from David Bowie’s Changes:

Every time I thought I’d got it made. It seemed the taste was not so sweet. So I turned myself to face me

Bowie was the master of change. He embraced it.

Bowie was frequently called a chameleon, referring to both his ever-changing appearance and style of music. So much so, that the only consistent thing about his music was probably the fact you can expect him to come up with something different every single time.

– JustRandomThings

I’ve never paused long enough to face myself to determine if I was still on the right path. Or, has the destination changed with this new season of life? This pause has been a long time coming. Change can be scary – it’s different and it can be unsettling to leave comfort behind and navigate uncharted waters. Changes says to “turn and face the strange”. Maybe it’s time to explore outside of my comfort zone. It may feel strange, but who knows where it may take me.

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For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild, a million dead-end streets and
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

Oh yeah

I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, where's your shame?
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time

Strange fascination, fascinating me
Ah, changes are taking the pace I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, pretty soon now you're gonna get older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time