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My Gen X Playlist: Shine – Collective Soul

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Daily writing prompt
Do you have any collections?
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I was having difficulty with this prompt until I remembered a line from Musings From a Tangled Mind.

Why is it that my brain can remember every embarrassing thing I’ve ever done…

This was a fragment of a longer statement, but it made me stop to say, Yeah, that’s me, too. I’ve got a complete archive of this stuff, some even too embarrassing to tell. It’s not catalogued, mind you, but if you shout out a category, I’m sure I can find you some footage. I’m always amazed when I meet someone who is able to let the past roll off their back. That’s not me, I wish it was. I take the embarrassing shit in my life and throw it on the hall of shame pile to be viewed later on the big screen in my head. You know that feeling when you are sitting in the front row at the movies, leaning back because of the size of the overwhelming screen? That’s me in my head. Front row, swallowed up by the embarrassing moments that won’t go away.

I will say, there always is a silver lining. It does keep you humble. In a way, it also builds character, right? Listen to me trying to convince myself…

Today’s prompt about collections gives me a good excuse to add a Collective Soul song to the playlist. Shine was released in 1993. Who’d of thought this would cause a riff with the Smashing Pumpkins.

Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins took umbrage with this song, believing it appropriated his sound. He often trashed Collective Soul in interviews and on stage, although “Shine” dates back to the ’80s, predating the first Smashing Pumpkins album. Collective Soul retaliated with the 1995 song “Smashing Young Man.”

Corgan didn’t let go of this feud; on the 2010 Smashing Pumpkins tour, they often played part of “Shine,” before stopping so Corgan can say how much he hates the song can call it a “f–king rip-off of my band.”

– songfacts

I used to have a collection of signed books by one of my favorite authors. I started collecting before he got really big. Over the years, my interest began to wane and I eventually sold most of the books for a tidy profit. Wouldn’t it be nice to similarly be able sell my most embarrassing moments off on eBay and be rid of them once and for all? Hell, I’d be happy enough if Billy Corgan wanted to claim them as his own. Anything to ease the burden.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Give me a word
Give me a sign
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?

Lay me on the ground
Or fly me in the sky
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?

Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down

Love is in the water
Love is in the air
Show me where to look
Tell me will love be there?
Will love be there?

Teach me how to speak
Teach me how to share
Teach me where to go
Tell me will love be there?
Will love be there?

Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down

Give me a word
Give me a sign
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?

Lay me on the ground
Or fly me in the sky
Show me where to look
Tell me what will I find?
What will I find?

Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down
Whoa. Heaven, let your light shine down

I'm gonna let it shine, I'm gonna let it shine
Heaven, send a light. Let it shine on me
Hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Heaven, send a light. Let it shine on me

(Shine) Shine on me. Hey, hey, yeah-hey-yeah
(Shine) Well, come on and shine

23 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Shine – Collective Soul”

  2. Soooo very relatable and made me laugh. I had the absolute most embarrassing thing happen to me, (well I actually did it to myself), it has to be top 5 in the whole world. Maybe someday I’ll share it on WP. And you’re right about those embarrassing moments keeping us humble, ohhhhh yeah.

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  5. Give yourself some grace, my friend. Don’t throw them in a hall of shame! Everyone has embarrassing moments. Sometimes embarrassing moments can teach lessons that we didn’t think we needed to know. Enjoy life! 🌷

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  6. I can so relate to this! I also feel like I have an archive of embarrassing moments in my long-term memory just waiting to pop up and ruin my day. I have to remind myself that those were in the past. There is nothing I can do about them now except laugh. I agree that they keep us humble.

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  7. I think marijuana has really helped me not obsess about past embarrassments. Also, someone once told me to think “will this matter a hundred years from now?” The answer is always no, so I let it go.

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  8. Good post, very thoughtful. It can be tough letting go of the past. I am pretty proficient in the big-screen department but have found help from meditation and mindfulness that supports the idea of our growth leading us to accept that “we are not now who we were then.”

    I remember this song well, though I wouldn’t have been able to place the era.

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    1. I spent a year in Japan. When I returned home, I began reading Japanese authors (translated of course). I took a liking to Haruki Murakami. I’ve gone back a re-read some of his older works, but having trouble starting any of his new stuff. I’m going to give it a try again this summer.

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      1. We just did Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore for a reading group on here. I liked it. I’ve also read Hard Boiled Wonderland. He is very good. I was amazed at the translation-it seemed so smooth.

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      2. Very cool! I’ve read them both, but the storyline escapes me. I’ll have to pick them up and reread them. Murakami is always mentioned as a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Maybe one day he’ll get it.

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