23. Mix CDs/Tapes
e: Giving someone a mix tape or cd is like giving them a set of secrets to decode- what does this combination of angst, nostalgia, and desire mean for me? what is this friend/love interest/acquaintance trying to tell me? Deciphering the message over days and weeks is exciting. And going back to those mixes a few years later, listening to those songs in the right order, is magical.
a: Aside from the inherent romance in giving someone a disc or tape of songs, I’ve always found the exchange of mixes to be uniquely satisfying. They have unspoken rules that stem from this grand twentieth century tradition of media sharing, and they are steeped with a nostalgia deeper and older than cassette tapes.
