Inspired by: “Landed” (2005) from the Ben Folds’ album Songs for Silverman
Unlike the last song, I actually like this song. It’s probably one of my favorites, honestly. At different points in my life, it’s meant different things, and it’s always been the thing I message to people when they are picking me up at the airport. At least, people in the know about Ben Folds. Others might be confused if they receive a link to the music video when they are expecting me to let them know my airplane has landed.
Once upon a time, that message was not well received by its recipient, and made a drive home from Providence particularly sad for me, on a night that would ultimately be a few weeks before my ex-wife filed for divorce on my birthday. But that misery has been replaced with its usage almost every time subsequently, as the person picking me up from the airport tends to be my most favorite person ever.
It was almost eight years ago (time flies) when I landed in Chicago to fetch my then-fiance and whisk her away for adventures unknown in Utah (and beyond). After spending the prior six weeks apart – I’d relocated to Utah to try and land that fancy finance job that had eluded me in Illinois – and it was the longest we had been apart since we became a “thing.” But she was genuinely happy to see me, and I her, and ever since, it’s been magical.
We don’t spend much time apart at the moment; other than my trip to Connecticut to celebrate Henry, we haven’t spent time apart since I stopped traveling for work, and, well, because of COVID-19. Who wants to travel now anyway?
I miss sending her “Landed” the second the plane touches down… even though she’s typically tracking the flight and knows I’ve landed before my phone finds the cellular network again coming out of airplane mode. But I always get the “YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!” in response regardless, and that keeps the song special to me, even if the song itself isn’t necessarily a happy one.
Make your own happy out of things.
Robert Writes About... 