WHERE DID THE YEARS GO, WACO?

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

WHERE DID THE YEARS GO, WACO?

As the door begins to slowly but profoundly close on my Texas tenure, I'm primarily left with thoughts of inquiry. And that's not how I drew it up in the beginning. I decided for a long time that I was able to finally know why I moved to Texas... But alas now I only hope it will be clear some time on down the road.

It hasn't all been good, hasn't all been bad. Here are some things I found during my stay in Waco. (Some not having directly to do with Texas.)

I love Baylor baseball, Blue Bell Cantaloupe and Cream, free gameplay in the video game lab. I have great dislike for Casablanca's laundry room, dirty hat, belt buckle, and my research assistantship. I like First Alert 25 pre-spoken word era, hate First Alert 25 post-spoken word era. I love the early Texas Spring. Hate the non-arriving Texas Autumn. I love Bush's sweet tea, cheap rent, and the a sunset at the Baylor tennis center. I don't care for the Whataburger in the fast food jungle, the ne'er do wells on 11th St, or the service at the post office. I love driving to Dallas in the middle of the night with the windows down and the music on. I detest the stretch of I-35 between Ardmore and Oklahoma City.

And it got worse every time I drove it.

I hated going four years with no drums or ping-pong at my disposal. The two talents I had, have been on rot for too long. I love going to get some Brunswick Stew on a would-be chili Fall evening. I liked going to Kohls and buying nothing after a random Baylor volleyball game. I enjoyed thinking I was starting to make some semblance of sense out of my life. Hated getting the entire rug pulled out from underneath me.

I hate the tile on the walls of the Castelaw building. I love the walk from the parking garage to the Castelaw building though.

I hated working for Baylor Dining Services, but loved getting paid for driving around campus on a gator.

My Waco days were easily the best and worst of my life. I lived the hardest and hurt the worst. I went for the home run for the first time in my life only to end up being called out on strikes. I called a long pass play and ended up getting sacked for a loss. And lost the ball on downs. And got cut from the team. I loved more than I ever had, and hated for the first time in my life. I drove way too many miles in the Texas summers in my car with no air conditioner.

I thought "Live Like You Were Dying" was the most hokey song I've ever heard. I thought "Live Like You Were Dying" was extremely profound. I got way better at guitar, way worse at drums (as previously mentioned). I'll miss calling Derek "John" once per broadcast on the China Spring games.

In my first months as a Waco resident, I wrote a sarcastic song called "Wish I Was In Waco." At the time, NOT being in Waco seemed so far away. I don't know if I'll ever wish I was in Waco again or not.

Hope to see you down the road.