Finding “a Great Record”
I went record shopping for the first time in a while a few weeks ago, and something rather peculiar happened that felt like divine intervention or just a hilarious coincidence. I went to one of my favorite record shops in the area, Turn It Up, in Brattleboro, Vermont. They tend to have particularly great finds whenever I go in.
I searched through the records and found some good ones, but then I stumbled upon a record in the “record store day.” I pulled it out so I could read it better; it was Echo and the Bunnymen, “The Killing Moon.” A man behind me piped up and said, “That’s a really great record. Have you heard it?” I hadn’t at the time so I said no and he simply repeated “that’s a really great record, you should listen to it sometime,” as he walked away.
For some reason, I felt compelled to buy the record after that man approached me, thinking to myself, “What the heck, it’s only $10.” It weirdly excited me to buy a record and have no idea what it sounds like or if I’ll even like it, but I took my conversation with this stranger as a sign.
I brought my final selections up front. The guy ringing me out picks up “The Killing Moon” and looks at it for a moment before saying, “Nice find! This is a great record.” This is now the second person within 30 minutes to tell me that this is “a great record.”
At this point, I’m DYING to know what “The Killing Moon” sounds like, and I can’t wait until I get home to spin it on my record player. I decide to find it on Spotify and play it on the car ride home.
As I was listening, I thought to myself… “What a great record.” I didn’t even realize until moments later that I said it too… “a great record.” Once I noticed, I laughed to myself and sent it to one of my friends. A little while later, he texted me back saying, “That’s a great record.” At which point I am losing my mind because this is now the third person to call it “a great record” without knowing about the others.
Why did I tell you this dumb long-winded story you ask? (or maybe you don’t care…)
Because there are so many days in life when I feel like we all could use “a great record.” This silly moment brought up such joy for my mundane record shopping day.
The crazy coincidence of it all made me laugh a lot and forced me to discover something I never would’ve thought to pick up. I was close to putting that record right back on the shelf until that stranger told me about it.
So the moral of the story here is… try something you wouldn’t normally do. You never know what gifts it may bring to your life. And from the stranger’s point of view, share your joy with others; it might spread in a way you didn’t expect.
So if you’re ever contemplating buying a record because some strangers told you it was “great,” then buy the dang record.
As always…
Stay fabulous,
-Jenna Leigh Berry
