So now I'm supposed to gush

Over the last two years I wrote a salutary post to the previous graduating classes, sort of officially acknowledging and congratulating them as a whole on their achievements. In these cases I'd make some kind of mention about being glad to having known them and being friends with them, as such. So I should do now what I've been doing, and start with the list of names, and say some goodbyes as well.

There's something amiss, though, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Some of these people I will probably never see again (not an uncommon theme), but at the same time there are several that I expect to see very soon. It's weird, because I know I can't say when I'll next return to Northfield, and consequently when I'll see these various persons that I'm sure I will see.

When I left my church 4-5 years ago, I wasn't sure how I'd keep in touch with many of those friends ever again. But one thing these last several years has taught me is that in spite of changes in each of our lives as well as the distances that separate us, we still keep in touch decently well. So much for those worries. When I lost a high number of graduated friends from a year ago I was set with the same kind of worry. In spite of having mixed results based on the success of keeping in contact with them, I realized that I've done much better than I could have expected. There is of course the occasional expectation for me to do better than I've done, but at least right now I have hope that I will be in semi-regular contact with several of the friends I've made over the four-year period I happened to be a college student.

So without further ado, cheers to '08ers Aurora, Will, Brett, Taylor, Jonathan, Derek, David, John, Scott, Matt, Molly, Hannah, Eric, Alissa, Carol, Adam, Brandon, Kyle, Colin, Maranda, Joel, Tracy, Ben, Christine, Jamie, Levi, Nolan, Nathan, Pat, Anna, Kimmy, Max, Chris, Sean, Sarah, Marcie, Christine, Adam, Lauren, Christoph, Daniel, Millie, Casey, Kaitlin, Nick, Dylan, Chris, Peter, Keith, Andy, Nowlan, Lindsey, Trevor, Paul, Brendan, Wei, Jeremy, Brock, Lindsey, Carrie, David, Laura, Tyler, Brittany, Tyler, Paul, Katie, Clara, Peter, Brianna, Keshia, Katie Beth, Neil, Jenna, Eric, George, Sarah, Kate, Paul, Antonia, Tom, Kathleen, Kris, Jana, Steve, Kelin, Noelle, Keeley, Ben, Megan, Rob, James, Sarah, AJ, Kevin, Tyler, Christy, David, Kevin, Carl, Ariel, Nicole, Joe, Alec, Tom, Whit, Norm, Laurax, Paul, David, Noelle, Alycia, Catie, Katherine, Courtney, Abraham, Amanda, Marie, Kirsten, Nicole, Mackenzie, Kenny, Rob, Darin, Matt, Chris, Jose, Claire, Nick, Carl, Bob, Tara, Laurel, Liana, Lucas, Mark, Anuwat, Adam, Emily, Spurg, Beth, Ann, Liz, Jess, Tom, Alan, Hannah, Greg, Jonathan, Ethan, Alex, Sam, Molly, Mike, Emma, Cam, Luke, Will, John, Stephanie, Jonathan, Laura, Pete, Cindy, Eric, Mikael, and Sarah. I'm so glad to have graduated with you all. I couldn't have found a better group of people to spend four years with (OK, so the class of 2007 would make a strong counterargument, but that's beside the point). So many memories that will always be there, but moreover, with some of you, many more yet to be made. And that's what I'm hoping for.

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Post-script: For dinner tonight my dad, grandpa and I went to Hogan Brothers for what just might be my last time for quite a while. But it was after dinner that got my attention the most. I'd gotten some ice cream (see reason in first sentence), and when I returned there was a family of three---dad and two daughters---that positively entertained the three of us in all sorts of ways. The father was very intelligent and regaled us with stories about geology and the early moon missions. The kids kept peppering grandpa and me questions about ice cream. We were all able to go back between the two media of conversation, and it kind of showed me a potentially open window of what I will be more likely to encounter now that I'm done living in a bubble (and yes, this term is specifically used with Lindsey Meyers' speech in mind). Maybe being off the bubble will do me much good. At least that's the hope.

Philosophy from the catapult

I still have one final left, but essentially the hardest work is now done. I wrote (revised) my last music history paper last night and turned it in. I don't know if it was my best work, but at the same time it was like a last gasp of anything related to college academics.

I almost wonder what this blog might have been like had I started it sooner, like while I was still in high school. I know for a fact that they were in existence in 2002, so theoretically I could have started writing when I was in high school. It would be interesting to compare my writing now with then, and compare reactions just to see if they were normal. Back in those days, everyone made it seem like the transition from HS to college was a big deal (quite a few movies occur during this time in people's lives), but for me it didn't seem like much. After all, I'd gone to an out-of-state school before, so it was nothing new. But now, even if it were such a big deal, it's a distant memory now. It's weird. I'm on the other end of the college telescope, and somehow this transition tends to be more ignored.

On with the percussion final. I still have to find out if I'm taking the written exam or turning in a composition.

A study in conducting

It's amazing what one might learn--or want to learn--simply by looking at videotape of himself. I spent some time doing just that last night as I was preparing for my conducting final this morning. In between taking notes related to my growth as a conductor, it was kind of cool just getting comfortable watching myself on video. Now, to be honest, I've never had any trouble having pictures taken of me, but I had been wary of seeing myself in moving pictures, so to speak. There would be always little things I would notice--and not enjoy noticing in the process--and as a result I would hate the fact that I did those little things.

But one burgeoning (is that the word I want to use here?) question that I found was, what more can I learn from this guy? After all, I'd been watching him on the podium for three semesters (although one of them was two years ago in Beginning Conducting), I saw him transform from some über-self-conscious post-teenager to a more self-assured... adult? Ah, yeah, adult. Now I know that's the word I want to use. Conducting confidence aside (a recent development), I was focusing on how the guy in the video interacted with the others in the classroom, and I discovered I liked what I saw (another very recent development). I could put the same little things aside and live with them, and just enjoy watching what he'd become.

Over Interim my freshman year at Olaf I was overrun by a plethora of amazing people through the FCA group. It was probably the first time in my life that I was so thoroughly embraced like that, and it was at that point I knew I was sick of living like that "post-teenager" (with all the adjectives I described). It still took a while (including additional help) but I'm much closer. There are still kinks to work out. But at least I can watch myself conduct now.

Revolutions

You say you want a revolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

You tell me that it's evolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction

Don't you know that you can count me out

Don't you know it's gonna be all right

all right, all right

You say you got a real solution

Well, you know

We'd all love to see the plan

You ask me for a contribution

Well, you know

We're doing what we can

But when you want money

for people with minds that hate

All I can tell is brother you have to wait

Don't you know it's gonna be all right

all right, all right

Ah

ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...

You say you'll change the constitution

Well, you know

We all want to change your head

You tell me it's the institution

Well, you know

You better free you mind instead

But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao

You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don't you know it's gonna be all right

all right, all right

all right, all right, all right

all right, all right, all right

"Revolution" by The Beatles

This world of shifting sand

Which Jesus do you follow?

Which Jesus do you serve?

If Ephesians says to imitate Christ

Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died

He spent His time with thieves and liars

He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant

So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness

Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins

He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars

He loved the poor and accosted the rich

So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow

This picture of the American dream

If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion

Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins

But the Word says He was battered and scarred

Or did you miss that part

Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died

He spent His time with thieves and the least of these

He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable

So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church

The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet

But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud

I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd

And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!

I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus

You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity

I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus

Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me

Can I be like You Jesus?

I want to be like my Jesus

--"My Jesus" by Todd Agnew