Europe
I have finally finished my Europe 2003 section for this webpage. I ended up just taking the emails I had written along the way and placing some of the better photos around them.
I’d be shocked if anyone actually read all of the text, admitedly the first few entries are quite dry, but I promise they get better along the way. The thumbnails that are crooked on the page will turn right side up when you click to enlarge them.
To view the page, click “Janurary 2003″ in the Archives section to the right. Enjoy!
Week in Review
It’s been a while since I updated, and lots has happened, so I’ll do my best to cover it all…
Last Thursday I attended a Christmas party for WUPA, the UPN affiliate here in Atlanta. They gave away door prizes towards the end, and I somehow won a $100.
Friday night I was able to score free tickets (along with a coveted parking pass) to the Atlanta Thrashers game from work. The Thrashers “thrashed” the Mighty Ducks, 6-2. There was also a post-game concert with Fuel. Quick, name three of their songs? Exactly. Their drummer did bear a striking resemblance to Fabio..
I spent Saturday night watching the SEC championship with friends at $3 Cafe, though we didn’t really watch the game after a while..
Sunday night I attended the annual Northpoint (church) Singles Christmas party. This thing was hilarious. The semi-formal was held at the Biltmore with fourteen hundred of our closest friends complete with two ballrooms, one for a DJ, and one for a jazz band. This was a singles party, but don’t get me wrong, the average age must have been thirty-five, easy. I went with a group that consisted mostly of women from our area fellowship, and as humbly as I can put it into words, these women truly looked phenomenal last night.
This week should be light in extra-curricular activities, but work is really starting to pick up.. Hopefully the late nights won’t pile up too high.
High School Reunion
A week ago Saturday I had my five year high school reunion (I graduated from <a href=”http://www.paceacademy.org/” target=”new”>Pace Academy</a> (Atlanta) in 1998). I wanted to come up with a witty dialogue on the evening, but for whatever reason I can’t seem to (all apologies to June). I did have several observations though…
For those not familiar with small private Atlanta high schools, “Pace Academy provides a rigorous academic curriculum to prepare students for success at a variety of prestigious colleges and universities”. Incidentally, I later also graduated from the “prestigious” Auburn University.
Before the reunion and knowing the kinds of people I graduated with, I was curious to know what people were doing. Had we conquered the world, or had the world conquered us? With all of the over-achievers from my class, I just hoped I would beat the average. After graduation people did a wide range of things. Some went to Ivy League schools, some went to what I would call the Kudzu league (read: SEC), some didn’t even continue school. Granted, there were also some who weren’t in school afterwards very long either, be it their choice or at the school’s request..
Five years later our class still has that same diversity, though I don’t think five years is much of a measuring stick for the rest of our lives. Some people had procrastinated and were still doing undergrad work, some had just begun to settle into their first job, and still quite a few people had no idea what they wanted to do, so they decided to delay the inevitable by going to grad school.
I was amazed at how much some people’s appearances had changed. It sounds so cliché, but there were several people who I really didn’t recognize. Mostly from the effects of loosing weight or hair, though not limited to the opposite either.
Pace is a small school, but there are always people you didn’t know that well. I saw some of them and all of those conversation generally ended up going the same way: “So, how are you? Where and what are you up to these days? Well…… See you at the ten year.”. Strangely that conversation lasted about as long as the sum of all previous conversations you’ve had with them.
While talking to one person who didn’t fit the above description, they threw me a complete curve-ball by asking “are you happy?”. For some reason, that just blew my mind. Generally, you ask the normal questions and find that you’re doing fine, and I’m doing fine, so we must all be fine. But this question really caused me to pause and reflect.
I really did enjoy the reunion. I enjoyed talking with some people who I hadn’t seen since graduation, and may possibly not see again until the ten year reunion if not ever again. Strange the memories that come back when you are standing around people who had been such an integral part of your life for so long. Almost seems like those times existed in another lifetime, and after changing so much in the time since, they almost have.
Inpirational Auburn Piece
This was written by Jim Lawson before this year’s Iron Bowl, though I think it means a little more to me now than before the game.
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To All Auburn Players
I am sorry for the distraction you may face this week on account of the fans. True Auburn fans everywhere are behind you. Here is our tribute to you:
I am Auburn. I am the 30 year old couple coming back to campus for the first time with both little ones in tow. One wears her first blue and orange cheerleader outfit; the other wears #34 even though he’s too young to understand why. I am the 50 year old man who hoped no one saw tears in his eyes when the eagle circled the field. I was too choked even to say War Eagle. For a moment I felt foolish and then I didn’t care. God, I love this place. I am the 60 year old woman meeting her freshman grand-daughter who is now the 3rd generation of AU students in our family. Despite my age, I’d strap it on Saturday and hit someone if it weren’t for my gender and this blasted arthritis.
I am Auburn and I have always believed I was different. You can see it when you look up into the stands. My orange is not the same as Tennessee’s and my blue is not that of Florida. But the differences go much deeper than my colors. Read my creed. What other school has one? I genuinely believe in these things. To be a “real” Auburn man or woman speaks of character, not of geography. All are welcome to walk though my gates, not just the wealthy or the elite.
Georgia and Alabama may have their “nations,” but we have always been family. Make no mistake…we loathe defeat, but even in defeat, we would rather be an Auburn Tiger than anything else.
We are family and you are the sons of Heisman, the sons of Jordan and Dye. You come from a long line of brothers who names include Burkett, Sidle, Owens, Sullivan, Beasley, Jackson and Rocker. It is a great heritage.
So this Saturday, when the warm ups are over and the prayer’s “amen” spoken, when the you hear my thunder growing in the stands above you, when you stand in the tunnel and the smoke begins to form, listen for my voice when you run onto my field. Behind the frenzy of the shakers and deafening roar, I will tell you something in a whisper you may miss. I will be telling you that you are my sons and I am proud of you for the way you wear the burnt orange and navy blue. I am telling you that you are my sons and I love you.
Auburn University
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