Reminiscing is a part of life I love to visit. I love sitting with people, having the "Remember when..." conversations, which usually consist of past memories, having a laugh over something that was classic us. I especially look forward to creating more reminiscent memories with friends and family. Our society loves to look at the good ol' days where we try to have the Andy Griffith times. You know, whistling, smiles on our faces, watching a father take time out of his day to go fishing with his young boy. Aaah, the good ol' days.
Have you ever looked back and saw how a certain person, or a group of people impacted your life? Whether for better or for worse, every interaction we have shapes our very lives. We learn to trust, love, laugh often, and ultimately find comfort in others through positive interactions. This is the type of interaction I will be looking at. So sit back, and let's "Remember when..."
Today's song is a song between two people. This becomes apparent in the lyrics of the song. What I will be doing is opening it up a little more. Sure, I could talk about how one person changes your life, and as you look at the song yourself, reader, you can do the same, but I am going to focus on a group of people. The title of the song is "We're So Far Away" by Mae.
I had a close knit group of friends when I went to college. In fact, when I listen to this song the flood of memories fly back and it warms my heart over. I think of Freshman year, being introduced to all of them and seeing how each one impacted my life. I remember meeting the girls over in Centennial (mostly because I was a boy and that's what boys do). I remember playing pranks on Dawn while she was in her room and she wouldn't notice. I remember taking a lot of walks with Texas and Louisiana. Visiting Faith and Becky for the first time in their room while watching SNL. PJ and I would sit outside, I'd play guitar, he'd make up lyrics and people would give us money and that's how we paid for laundry. Paul and I would sit back with our chili lights on, watching the snow fall, listening to music while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate as we took turns playing Tony Hawk. Jason (a.k.a. Bill) and I would expertly play frisbee; Matt and I would play hacky sack, and make late night McDonalds runs. Jason would be awkward from head to toe; Nate would be the nicest guy you knew. Erin and Erin would always be great for a laugh or two. It was all an amazing experience. For all of you, I dedicate this first verse.
Remembering, everything,
about my world and when you came.
Wondering, the change you’d bring,
means nothing else would be the same.
Did you know, what you were doing, did you know.
Did you know how you would move me well,
I don’t really think so.
but the night came down and swept us away.
and the stars they seemed,
to paint the most elaborate scene today.
There were more people in my years of MLC that I would get to know and call good friends. I consider these people the first steps to helping my transition from teenager into a college student. The memories I made with this group was amazing, it painted a very elaborate scene. Each year, the painting would grow more elaborate. Some people left, some grew apart, but the memories that were made were definitely worth the painting I now I have in my life because of you.
We never could have guessed where life was going to take us. Even though some left, they came back to make sure everything was going well. There were new names then to add: Rachel, Allison, Shannon, Keith, Peter, Cripple Nate, and Kristin. Who knew that during our ups and downs these would be the people to be there. A simple guy from California, meeting, and growing with all these people from all over the Midwest. We learned to live with each other, kneww when to joke, to cry, to love. You can't take that away.
How could we know? that song, this show,
we'd learn so much about ourselves.
From Toledo, to Tokyo,
the words were scribed on every page,
and now there’s books up on our shelves.
Did you know how you would move us, did you know?
When the lights first came upon us,
and we saw The Everglow.
and the moment's magic swept us away.
and the young mans dream was almost seen so plain.
Do you ever have those nights when you lay on the grass and look up at the stars? You think, how awesome is it that there is so much out there, so much we don't know about. I remember a specific night when 4 of us laid out under the stars. We tried to hold onto that night, laughing, taking in everything. We tried thinking of our future and how hard it would be to remain friends after college, each of us going our own way. We had no idea what was in store for us. I can say for certain, I stayed great friends with all of them. This next verse I dedicate to you.
When was the night
that showed us the sign?
Revealed in the sky, to leave all behind.
But where to begin? throwing caution to the wind,
We reached for the stars, everything was now ours.
As I said before, these memories are some of the best I have and hold on to. I actually revisited MLC one weekend after everyone either graduated or left for a different type of education. I wrote down my thoughts that actually fit this theme very well. I hope you can bear with me on this one. I wrote this about 3 years ago really fast and so if it's a bit rough in it's writing, just pretend it's awesome. haha
I literally rode the metaphor of my life. Nostalgia brings back the ghosts of my past. As I walk the same sidewalks I walked for 5 years, I play out each memory like a scene from an old silent film. In just one day at MLC, the past 5 years' worth of memories flooded me like the Red Sea did to the Egyptians (except I survived...booyah Egyptians). My day started off in room 402 of Summit. It was different than my senior in 401 of the same building. I could've sworn my room was so much bigger. As I glanced in, I saw a group of people sitting around playing Apples to Apples; I saw myself telling Kristin for the first time that I loved her. I headed down stairs where I pictured Jason and Bill going into Keith and Peter's room to get them for supper. Walking out of the dorm, around 11:30, I was greeted by the sound of tennis players hitting the ball around. I didn't look over, I just thought to myself, "Dannecker will never give it up."
Strolling through the LSC, I almost bent over to see if I had mail, habit, I guess. Sad to say, there wasn't any letters or pink package slip today. As I exited the doors, I passed the Sprinter where I was greeted by the faint cheers of "We got a hack!" and the infamous, "Slut!" I, then, looked to my right and I saw two guys playing Frisbee (for real). All I could say was, "Amateurs!" I closed my eyes then they disappeared.Quickly, they were replaced by Bill and I.
Later in the day, around 11:50 P.M., I would encounter that metaphor I briefly discussed. I took a walk to the soccer fields to pay my respects for Matt. As I stepped on the field I could see a bunch of us sitting on the bleachers huddled up because it was too windy and cold. A quick stroll down the road landed me at Sunset Apartments which reminded me of my summer with Sarah. I happened to find a perfectly good bike across the grass at Manor, next to a dumpster. Well, perfectly good isn't the right description, the seat hurt like hell and the back tire was flat. This, of course, didn't stop me from borrowing it for the night. I squeaked my way back to MLC, resting my butt for short periods of time because it was painful to sit, especially with the back tire swerving and bouncing with every full rotation.
I rode to the parking lot where I once found a broken STOP sign, where Becky's purple van and Tom Strackbein's motorcycle used to be parked. I kept on going, fighting the flat. I circled my way back to Augustana stopping at Centennial to see friendly ghosts hit rocks across the street with golf clubs, some rocks made it clear across while others fell victim to the paved part of the hill across the way.
I made it back to the Hacky Sack square, parked the bike and watched the silent film of more premonitions as they appeared. This time around, Matt and I were standing, looking straight at Augustana. I was outfitted with a guitar and he, his voice. We were playing/singing "Anthem of Our Dying Day" while girls yelled at us because it was too late to be doing that.
I, then, left the bike, and headed down the paved strip called the Mall. I was holding a tennis ball at the time that I found in the grass. Funny, because when I looked forward, I saw 5 golfers, each with a choice club and tennis ball. One was creating divots, the other, yelling, "FORE!", and three on the ground laughing. Turning around and walking back to the Sprinter, the ghosts won't disappear, even as I write this. I don't want them to. As I write, more and more come back to me, too many to name. Everywhere I look, there are ghosts doing different things, all happening at the same time. I miss those days.
What about the metaphor? The bike is my metaphor. I'm going places. It is definitely a workout and sometimes that flat tire makes the job harder and the seat makes things uncomfortable, but I know that as long as I keep pedaling, I'll get to my destination. Some of the ghosts I saw, that weren't mentioned, were of mistakes I made. Most were amazing memories which gave me the strength to keep pedaling. Now I've reached my destination. I'm a teacher. This doesn't mean my journey is completely over though. Being back at MLC makes me happy about the man I've become because of the friends I had. Now I see that journey is over, even though I may physically leave, those ghosts will forever stay, untouched through time, enjoying the friends they are with.
Remembering, everything,
about my world and when you came.
Wondering, the change you’d bring,
means nothing else would be the same.
Although, this is turning out to be a longer post, I can't help but reiterate that my friends and family have impacted my world, shook it to the core, in such an amazing way. Way back at the beginning, I stated that I love the "Remember when..." conversations. They are the long, dream filled days of the past and deserve a look at every once and a while.How are you impacting other people? What kind of change are you going to bring? How will others look at you when they remember when?
We're So Far Away by Mae
Have you ever looked back and saw how a certain person, or a group of people impacted your life? Whether for better or for worse, every interaction we have shapes our very lives. We learn to trust, love, laugh often, and ultimately find comfort in others through positive interactions. This is the type of interaction I will be looking at. So sit back, and let's "Remember when..."
Today's song is a song between two people. This becomes apparent in the lyrics of the song. What I will be doing is opening it up a little more. Sure, I could talk about how one person changes your life, and as you look at the song yourself, reader, you can do the same, but I am going to focus on a group of people. The title of the song is "We're So Far Away" by Mae.
I had a close knit group of friends when I went to college. In fact, when I listen to this song the flood of memories fly back and it warms my heart over. I think of Freshman year, being introduced to all of them and seeing how each one impacted my life. I remember meeting the girls over in Centennial (mostly because I was a boy and that's what boys do). I remember playing pranks on Dawn while she was in her room and she wouldn't notice. I remember taking a lot of walks with Texas and Louisiana. Visiting Faith and Becky for the first time in their room while watching SNL. PJ and I would sit outside, I'd play guitar, he'd make up lyrics and people would give us money and that's how we paid for laundry. Paul and I would sit back with our chili lights on, watching the snow fall, listening to music while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate as we took turns playing Tony Hawk. Jason (a.k.a. Bill) and I would expertly play frisbee; Matt and I would play hacky sack, and make late night McDonalds runs. Jason would be awkward from head to toe; Nate would be the nicest guy you knew. Erin and Erin would always be great for a laugh or two. It was all an amazing experience. For all of you, I dedicate this first verse.
Remembering, everything,
about my world and when you came.
Wondering, the change you’d bring,
means nothing else would be the same.
Did you know, what you were doing, did you know.
Did you know how you would move me well,
I don’t really think so.
but the night came down and swept us away.
and the stars they seemed,
to paint the most elaborate scene today.
There were more people in my years of MLC that I would get to know and call good friends. I consider these people the first steps to helping my transition from teenager into a college student. The memories I made with this group was amazing, it painted a very elaborate scene. Each year, the painting would grow more elaborate. Some people left, some grew apart, but the memories that were made were definitely worth the painting I now I have in my life because of you.
We never could have guessed where life was going to take us. Even though some left, they came back to make sure everything was going well. There were new names then to add: Rachel, Allison, Shannon, Keith, Peter, Cripple Nate, and Kristin. Who knew that during our ups and downs these would be the people to be there. A simple guy from California, meeting, and growing with all these people from all over the Midwest. We learned to live with each other, kneww when to joke, to cry, to love. You can't take that away.
How could we know? that song, this show,
we'd learn so much about ourselves.
From Toledo, to Tokyo,
the words were scribed on every page,
and now there’s books up on our shelves.
Did you know how you would move us, did you know?
When the lights first came upon us,
and we saw The Everglow.
and the moment's magic swept us away.
and the young mans dream was almost seen so plain.
Do you ever have those nights when you lay on the grass and look up at the stars? You think, how awesome is it that there is so much out there, so much we don't know about. I remember a specific night when 4 of us laid out under the stars. We tried to hold onto that night, laughing, taking in everything. We tried thinking of our future and how hard it would be to remain friends after college, each of us going our own way. We had no idea what was in store for us. I can say for certain, I stayed great friends with all of them. This next verse I dedicate to you.
When was the night
that showed us the sign?
Revealed in the sky, to leave all behind.
But where to begin? throwing caution to the wind,
We reached for the stars, everything was now ours.
As I said before, these memories are some of the best I have and hold on to. I actually revisited MLC one weekend after everyone either graduated or left for a different type of education. I wrote down my thoughts that actually fit this theme very well. I hope you can bear with me on this one. I wrote this about 3 years ago really fast and so if it's a bit rough in it's writing, just pretend it's awesome. haha
I literally rode the metaphor of my life. Nostalgia brings back the ghosts of my past. As I walk the same sidewalks I walked for 5 years, I play out each memory like a scene from an old silent film. In just one day at MLC, the past 5 years' worth of memories flooded me like the Red Sea did to the Egyptians (except I survived...booyah Egyptians). My day started off in room 402 of Summit. It was different than my senior in 401 of the same building. I could've sworn my room was so much bigger. As I glanced in, I saw a group of people sitting around playing Apples to Apples; I saw myself telling Kristin for the first time that I loved her. I headed down stairs where I pictured Jason and Bill going into Keith and Peter's room to get them for supper. Walking out of the dorm, around 11:30, I was greeted by the sound of tennis players hitting the ball around. I didn't look over, I just thought to myself, "Dannecker will never give it up."
Strolling through the LSC, I almost bent over to see if I had mail, habit, I guess. Sad to say, there wasn't any letters or pink package slip today. As I exited the doors, I passed the Sprinter where I was greeted by the faint cheers of "We got a hack!" and the infamous, "Slut!" I, then, looked to my right and I saw two guys playing Frisbee (for real). All I could say was, "Amateurs!" I closed my eyes then they disappeared.Quickly, they were replaced by Bill and I.
Later in the day, around 11:50 P.M., I would encounter that metaphor I briefly discussed. I took a walk to the soccer fields to pay my respects for Matt. As I stepped on the field I could see a bunch of us sitting on the bleachers huddled up because it was too windy and cold. A quick stroll down the road landed me at Sunset Apartments which reminded me of my summer with Sarah. I happened to find a perfectly good bike across the grass at Manor, next to a dumpster. Well, perfectly good isn't the right description, the seat hurt like hell and the back tire was flat. This, of course, didn't stop me from borrowing it for the night. I squeaked my way back to MLC, resting my butt for short periods of time because it was painful to sit, especially with the back tire swerving and bouncing with every full rotation.
I rode to the parking lot where I once found a broken STOP sign, where Becky's purple van and Tom Strackbein's motorcycle used to be parked. I kept on going, fighting the flat. I circled my way back to Augustana stopping at Centennial to see friendly ghosts hit rocks across the street with golf clubs, some rocks made it clear across while others fell victim to the paved part of the hill across the way.
I made it back to the Hacky Sack square, parked the bike and watched the silent film of more premonitions as they appeared. This time around, Matt and I were standing, looking straight at Augustana. I was outfitted with a guitar and he, his voice. We were playing/singing "Anthem of Our Dying Day" while girls yelled at us because it was too late to be doing that.
I, then, left the bike, and headed down the paved strip called the Mall. I was holding a tennis ball at the time that I found in the grass. Funny, because when I looked forward, I saw 5 golfers, each with a choice club and tennis ball. One was creating divots, the other, yelling, "FORE!", and three on the ground laughing. Turning around and walking back to the Sprinter, the ghosts won't disappear, even as I write this. I don't want them to. As I write, more and more come back to me, too many to name. Everywhere I look, there are ghosts doing different things, all happening at the same time. I miss those days.
What about the metaphor? The bike is my metaphor. I'm going places. It is definitely a workout and sometimes that flat tire makes the job harder and the seat makes things uncomfortable, but I know that as long as I keep pedaling, I'll get to my destination. Some of the ghosts I saw, that weren't mentioned, were of mistakes I made. Most were amazing memories which gave me the strength to keep pedaling. Now I've reached my destination. I'm a teacher. This doesn't mean my journey is completely over though. Being back at MLC makes me happy about the man I've become because of the friends I had. Now I see that journey is over, even though I may physically leave, those ghosts will forever stay, untouched through time, enjoying the friends they are with.
Remembering, everything,
about my world and when you came.
Wondering, the change you’d bring,
means nothing else would be the same.
Although, this is turning out to be a longer post, I can't help but reiterate that my friends and family have impacted my world, shook it to the core, in such an amazing way. Way back at the beginning, I stated that I love the "Remember when..." conversations. They are the long, dream filled days of the past and deserve a look at every once and a while.How are you impacting other people? What kind of change are you going to bring? How will others look at you when they remember when?
We're So Far Away by Mae
That freshmen year was pivotal! I too can see some of those ghosts. By the way I saw pj 2 weeks ago.
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