Memories and Music: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

I started writing this the other night but the procrastinator in me failed to go back to complete it until now!

I love most types of music, I'm willing to give every genre at least one shot (though inevitably there are certain types of music I just don't like). Like a lot of people, certain songs and albums remind me of different times in my life. I love the feeling of hearing a song you have forgotten about and all the memories flooding back in. It can be very bittersweet though, as while we prefer to remember happier times, certain songs remind us of sadder times in our lives. It can be upsetting but in a slightly twisted way, I like it, as without low points, they're couldn't be high points.

This album however is definitely full of good memories. I first discovered The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in the summer of 2002. I went to London for my cousin's First Holy Communion and stayed with my Nana, in my aunt's room, which I was only delighted about. It was crammed full of interesting books, magazines and cds for me to discover during my stay. This one stood out. I just fell in love with it. I remember buying the cd in an airport on the way home (at a better price!) and have adored it ever since. I would have called myself a casual Lauryn Hill fan before, I liked her Fugee stuff and Sister Act 2 is one of my many guilty pleasures, but this album really instilled my love of Ms Hill. Everything about this album is amazing to me, her voice, her clever lyrics and awesome rapping skills. My favourite songs off it are probably Doo Wop (That Thing) and Everything is Everything, though I love the whole album and wait like most Lauryn Hill fans for another possible album (which at the time of writing could be coming soon enough).

The memories that this album bring are probably what a lot of people, especially Irish people, remember of the summer of 2002: The World Cup. Not only do I remember the matches and the Roy Keane 'situation' but also the atmosphere in London at the time, especially amongst the Irish community there. It was so full of hope and excitement. This album brings back a lot of happy family memories, which I think stand out more in my mind because I remember listening to this album there. Dinners, singing, shopping, playing football and just enjoying life in general, in a city that I love.

And while this isn't a memory as such, it does help to remind me to stay positive. I'm not a natural optimist, so whenever I need help in keeping my chin up, I turn to this album and in particular this line in Everything is Everything: 'Develop a negative into a positive picture'. Beautiful