Dear music,

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven't been paying as much attention to you as I should. I just needed a break and I hope you can understand. You have to admit though, you hadn't really done much to keep things exciting lately with your somewhat predictable phrasing, recycled rhythms, and cliched lyrics. Maybe this break was just what we both needed as we had both become complacent in our relationship. It's made me work harder to discover all that you offer as well as revisit old gifts that I've loved and neglected. I promise to cut back on my NPR listening when I'm in the car and baseball broadcasts at the office. I promise to listen because just hearing you isn't enough. I promise to drop all pretenses and just get lost in you. I promise to be more forgiving and to give you a second chance when the first listen doesn't grab me. I promise all this because I miss you. I miss the feeling of playing a new album that is so enthralling that I can do nothing but just sit and stare at the wall.

So what would I like to see in return? I'd love to see you continue to grow and not get caught up in the hype. I'd like to see you try new things and push the boundaries. Also, I'd like the people that play you (DJs, musicians, etc.) to remember it's about you and not them.