Kashmir

Kashmir is a region in India, and its capital is Srinagar. The ownership of the region has been in dispute between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule around 1947. I first learned this in college on the speech and debate team. Because we didn’t choose the India–Pakistan argument, my partner and I didn’t qualify for the playoff rounds at CEDA Nationals in 1995 at San Diego State University.

But my first introduction to Kashmir wasn’t academic—it was from Led Zeppelin. The song had a haunting but unmistakable riff, later sampled by Diddy in the Godzilla movie (though we really don’t speak of Diddy these days).

The song brings me back and grounds me in its mood and tone—a tone that captures both tension and movement. There’s a form of grounding in the opening lyrics: Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, with stars to fill my dreams. I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been.

Those lyrics remind me to notice the small moments in nature: when I walk outside on the way to the car for work, or when I’m headed into the office, to pause—even for a few seconds. To put down the constant thinking about the day ahead and just enjoy the sun on my face.

Question for you: What song grounds you or reminds you to pause and appreciate the present moment