S2 Scribble #2: Space Oddity

“This is Major Tom to ground control,”

This past Sunday, I went to the movie theater with my best friend to see the new David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream (this post is not an advertisement!). Safe to say, I’ve been listening to Bowie a lot since then. Today’s song, Space Oddity, deals with an astronaut, Major Tom, getting lost in space, and ends with the audience not quite being sure of his fate, but assuming he is lost in space forever.

“I’ve left forevermore,”

I was having an anxious day – they’ve been more and more frequent recently – but hearing Bowie’s life story, creative inspiration, and how frequently things can and do change gave me a much-needed boost into the week. I don’t like feeling anxious, but anxious has seemed to be my default setting for a while now. When I’m not feeling like myself, especially in these times of change, I wonder if that’s just the new version of me – a scary thought, considering I don’t like this anxious version of me as much as my normal, more stable self. Naturally, the thought crossed my mind: What if I’m anxious like this forever? Forever lost like Major Tom, only instead of being lost in space, lost in my own spiraling thoughts. 

“And I’m floating in most peculiar way,”

After some progressions this week and thanks to some amazing people I am lucky to have in my life, I very much learned that being permanently anxious would not be the case. The idea of becoming my favorite version of myself again – soon – is amazing. When I thought of Space Oddity today, I realized that I know the way that my Major Tom story ends. I’m coming back to Earth, back in control of my mind, once again feeling at home within myself.

“And the stars look very different today.”

Listen to Space Oddity by David Bowie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjai76Bm9mA

Sydney Braun

University of Michigan Class of 2024. Pronouns: she/her. Double Major in Environment and Communication & Media. Huge fan of 80s/90s music, not a fan of single-use plastic water bottles. Be sure to check out Song Scribbles With Sydney, where I use my favorite music to help analyze my emotions and experiences at college, posted every Wednesday!

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