A good portion of the soundtrack of my life is fast tempo, aggressive and about not fitting in. My soundtrack is punk. It started with Green Day and Rancid (the first punk bands for a LOT of folks in my age range) and moved to The Misfits, The Clash, The Ramones and Dead Kennedys.
This music appealed to me at a time in my life when I didn't fit in (I still kind of don't, but I'm better with it now). Punk gave me a feeling of belonging. It let me know that there are people just as off as I was and they had something to call their own. I could have that. I didn't have to pretend to be happy so people I didn't like would like me. I could be abnormal and still be accepted. It was a group that didn't want me to change. An open mind and some understanding was all I needed and it would be returned in kind.
I can't paint it completely with rose coloured glasses. There have been times when I didn't get it and felt like I knew what punk was and what it wasn't. In reality I didn't even really start to get a grasp on what it meant (at least to me anyway) when I realized that all I knew was that I didn't know nothin' (thanks be to OpIv).
Over the years I've had chance to meet and talk to some of the people who helped shape my outlook and existence (Ten Foot Pole, the late 90's incarnation of The Misfits, Henry Rollins, etc.) I've got to thank them for being there for me, even when they had no idea that they were. Their music not only gave me a hint at a world where I could be a little messed up but still be happy, but it also provided me with something in common with the people I've come to know as family. It will forever be a part of me and I will always owe it my life . Punk's not dead, you just need to look for it (like any kind of music that's backed away from the mainstream). Punk's not dead, there are still disaffected kids out there who are making noise in their garage or basement who are screaming to be heard. Punk's not dead because it's still saving lives.
