We’ve been receiving dozens of stories from people coast to coast about the transformative power of music. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are publishing a story every day in May.
Submitted by: Liam Hayden
On August 4th, 1983 my 7th birthday arrived. In between Carvel cake and my mom nodding her head to the beat of Alan Parsons’ “Don’t Answer Me”, my next-door neighbor, who I idolized, stepped onto our patio. You know the type....typical 13-year-old badass dressed head to toe in denim....complete with KISS ARMY patch of course. An absolute god in my eyes.
Sporting his “I just hit puberty 20 mins ago mustache” he handed me Def Leppard’s album, “Pyromania”. It was as if he handed me a key to an exclusive club. I played that album till it literally disintegrated. As mixtapes for your 7th grade girlfriend turned into Spotify Playlists for your friends, I still look back on that day as “the spark” that ignited the bonfire.
The power of one small gesture goes a long way, my friends. Remember that and please pay it forward....and don’t forget the KISS ARMY patch.
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