songs for the real world

I like playlists and mix CDs a lot, so I made this for those of you who, like me, are struggling with the quarterlife crisis deal. These are some songs for the real world:

Time To Pretend – MGMT
At Least We’re Dreaming – Eve 6
The Future Freaks Me Out – Motion City Soundtrack
Blankest Year – Nada Surf
Coffee In the Morning – Duke Jr. and the Smokey Boots
Learning To Fly – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Missed the Boat – Modest Mouse
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) – Arcade Fire
Ball & Chain – Social Distortion
Troublemaker – Weezer
All My Friends – LCD Sound System
Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
The World You Love – Jimmy Eat World
What’s My Age Again? – Blink 182
Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes
Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked – Cage the Elephant
Young Forever – Jay-Z
Home – Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Career Day – The Format

BONUS TRACKS:
Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) – Baz Luhrman
Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulders – Jay-Z and The Verve mashup
23 – Jimmy Eat World

My birthday is in a few weeks and I’ll be turning 23. I remember thinking when Futures came out in 2004 that 23 seemed like a lifetime away, but I still felt like I related to that song so much. It’s comforting, in a mournful sort of way, that I can still relate to it.

In an attempt to take this blog a little more seriously, I’ve done some revamping that includes finally creating a TITLE. This is supposed to help inspire me to write more often, since various other attempts to do so have mostly failed. But I’m digging the changes. What do you think?

Also, I’d love to hear your favorite “coming of age” or “fuck the real world” or “missing the old days” songs to tack onto my playlist.

As cliche as it is, I think the sunscreen song will always be one of my all-time favorites, because it reminds me of how universal that post-grad-sad feeling is. And it gives some really good advice.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts; don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. Some of the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.