With the recent news of pop-punk band Sum 41 calling it quits after decades of apparently still being a band, there comes a stark reminder that the things we once loved and gradually forgot about must ultimately meet their demise.
Yes, much like the Choco Taco, Sierra Mist, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones before them, Sum 41 are just another casualty in the world of stuff that we assumed called it a day years ago, finally actually calling it a day.
Think about how impactful this band was when you were younger. Many people like you may have been introduced to punk rock at an early age by bands like Sum 41. But now you’re a bit older, and your tastes are much more “mature,” and somewhere along the way you thought to yourself, “I loved them when I was young, but I’m not a poser so fuck that band.” All while wearing your favorite crusty old obscure d-beat band t-shirt.
Until you found out it was all over.
Now you’re shocked. You’re crippled by the thought of a band you once loved and cherished at one point but haven’t thought of in 15 years is kaput. You blame yourself for not keeping up with them. Hell, you probably think they only have like two albums or something. And now that they’re gone, it’s too late.
But when these things happen, we can’t totally beat ourselves up over it. Life can get in the way sometimes. And besides, things don’t necessarily have to be gone forever. Take something like the Ringling Brothers circus for example. They went under in 2018 when everyone thought they were done literally 50 years ago. And now they’re coming back for some stupid, god awful reason. Point being, it’s always worth holding out for a triumphant return.
So I say let the breaking up of Sum 41 be a lesson to us all. Cherish the formerly-beloved things we have, because we don’t know what we have until we thought it was already gone, and then it actually is.