Memories: Now Playing

I was told that my blog is melancholy so, in an effort to reduce the amount of melancholyness, I will do my best to stay positive. I will also do my best to make these more regular.

Melissa, Carie, Heidi and I went to the Mean Bean tonight in a last-stitch attempt at memory-making before we all head our separate directions. Nathan was there (in photographic form) too. The night consisted of two lattes, two hot chocolates, two good phones, two crap phones, puddle-jumping, wet bushes, a Brown Jug bathroom break and Moulin Rouge. Quite the combination. It amazes me how easily good times come to us. I guess that is to be expected after so many years of friendship and shared memories. Memories will come in handy in college; familiar little wafts of happiness that crop up every once-in-a-while to remind us home and the way things used to be. Luckily for me, most of my memories sit happily in my iPod in the form of music. Whenever I push play the songs follow bring back sensations of time and place, feelings, emotions and memories. For example:

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will forever remind me of an amazing day at Cedar Point and night with a group of twenty-something of my closest friends at the movies.
• Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones brings back memories of sophomore year, reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology for Enriched English (every book I read must have its own soundtrack Mythology's happened to be this).
• Wicked is riding in the car with Emily on our way to Chicago to see the play, reveling in the greatness of the music. It is also junior year during the stint where the band was playing it and the show choir was singing it.
• Hairspray is great times in the Visions combo, beehive wigs, Casey's valiant attempts at being suave and Lee's accidental impersonation of Duane.
• Superman is band camp freshman year, touching my toes and thanking God for giving me food. It is also Tony's solo sophomore year and our kick-ass senior show.
• The Chronicles of Narnia is the amazing time junior year during which I read that series and the magical Christmas that followed. It is sleepy bus rides and dreary winter mornings at Larry Lukas' plaque.
• Moulin Rouge is prom, junior year. Of course.
• West Side Story is my first days as field commander, waking up at odd hours of the night, conducting Maria/Cool or One Hand, One Heart. It is also jazz band; frantic, fun-filled attempts at Mambo up to tempo; covert excursions to the DECA store and Vince on the woodblock.
• The Beatles: Love is band, my amazing senior year; painting the concession stand with Zandra and Anita and glee-filled, post-win joyrides to B-Dubs with Emily and the crew.
• Duel of the Fates is pep band, more specifically "Broom Wars."
• Friends in Low Places is us, our group from our humble beginnings to present day; that song will always bring me home.

So many great memories and I am so lucky that they are all at my fingertips, ready at the push of a button. I have no doubt that they will all resurface at some point over the next year and the idea of that is exciting.