Our Broken Hearts

I can pinpoint the exact moment I first heard Chris Cornell's voice come through on the radio. I was 17 years old driving, driving my dad's '97 Dodge Stratus, and taking a left turn onto 356th St. from Enchanted Pkwy in Federal Way, WA. The song I that played that night was "Be Yourself" by Audioslave.

Being born in the late 80's, I had was too young to have appreciated the Grunge movement of the 90's. And although I'm sure I had heard a Soundgarden song here and there (having grown up in the Seattle area and all) I had never really listened to it.

Anyway, back to that first moment: 

The melancholy sound of the guitar caught my attention, but it was the voice and the way the words streamed through the radio that actually held it. The voice was unlike anything I've ever heard before. I could actually feel the emotion from each syllable uttered. And the song itself seemed to encompass every little thing I was feeling at that precise moment in my life. 

I was a depressed teenager with way too many issues to handle. I was ready to give up...but there, on the radio, was this man singing, basically reading my mind and still telling me not to lose any sleep, because everything would be alright.

From that moment on, I've been a die-hard fan. I know that many, many people have had their lives touched by Chris Cornell. And now that he's gone...our souls weep, not only for him, but for his family as well. We only got a small part of all that he was, and we are brokenhearted, I can't even begin to imagine how his loved ones must feel.

Chris Cornell is gone, but he will never be forgotten. In a world where people rarely make ripples, he made everlasting waves.