Waking Light: The one Beck song I listened to all decade

I don't think anyone is reading this. Or at most a handful of people are. As such, here is a nice, personal story about Waking Light and why it's the only Beck song I listened to this past decade.

Most of my current friends have only come into my life since the turn of the millennium. For reasons I won't go into, most of my friends from the past millennium are gone. 

Out of the handful of friends that date back past 2000, I only see one semi-regularly. 

One summer night in 2014 I think, I met her at a Persian restaurant for late supper. We shared our plates like we always did when we were together alone. We shared dessert. We talked about our lives. She told me who she was dating. I told her he didn't sound much better than the guy she had just divorced. 

The night was warm, and only slightly humid, with a cool breeze. We walked on the street for a bit after we had supper. Then we said our goodbyes, promising to see each other next week but knowing we probably wouldn't see each other again for another six months.

I drove home with the windows open, feeling absolutely giddy, as I usually did after seeing her. This time I may have been a bit high from the ambient weed on the street. 

I drove home with the radio on because I still didn't have my car with the fancy bluetooth that would allow me to listen to a Spotify playlist yet, and the host of the radio show was talking about morning routines. It was a weird topic for a late night show on a Saturday night. Then she played Waking Light by Beck.

And at that moment, I felt absolutely magical. Something about the temperature and the breeze and the smell in the air — and the fact that I had just seen my friend — mixed with the dreaminess of the song to make me feel warm and content. I felt good. I felt happy and alive, which is weird for me because I usually feel sad and dead inside. 

And so Waking Light was added to my playlist. And there it has remained for whenever I want to feel warm and happy.