Blackbirds and Trumpets
Maggie. 17. UT Austin. Film major. I am currently trying to let loose and try new things. So far, it works for me.
I’m back from Austin and it doesn’t even feel like I left. And it definitely doesn’t feel like I’ve been gone for two days. The plays were, of course, amazing. The only other thing we did was take a short trip to the capital building and then we left to go home.
I spent a lot of time thinking about how huge the school and city are. Right now I live in a town that you can go through in a matter of ten minutes, and the most interesting thing there is to see is a herd of cows by the main road. The idea of not knowing where anything is and only knowing one person there is both terrifying and exciting. For one, I’ll have all the time in the world to explore as long as I get my stuff done. On the other hand, I have to figure these things out, and I’m nervous about where I’ll “fit in” at UT.
I definitely want to join some sort of GSA there and the secular student alliance. I tried to create a group called “Students for Tolerance” that is more of a hidden GSA in our school, but the principle wouldn’t allow it because she’s a huge homophobe. But I’ll get to embrace every part of myself in Austin, especially the parts that I can’t talk about here. (Speaking of that, there’s this girl that always flirts with me. And I know she’s joking and that she’s straight but it upsets me because she doesn’t know she’s playing with my emotions and I can’t tell her that I’m gay because I don’t feel like coming out to her or anybody else while I’m here. It’s really frustrating.)
Life is good, though.
(Source: bookmania, via ifyouwouldcomebackhome)
I’m more excited about going on this trip to Austin than I was going to Disney World last year with the band.
If you’d like to keep my company on my 4+ hour road trip, feel free to message me. I’ll have 4G on this wonderful new iPad of mine, and I might just give you my number. ;D
I think the best part about this trip is I have no obligations or responsibilities like UIL or competitions or anything. I just get to kick back, enjoy some state-worthy OAP plays, and soak up the Austin atmosphere.
*le sigh*
Me gusta.
Last night was my band banquet (which I refer to as the “bandquet”). I’ve gone to this event since 8th grade, and it’s a HUGE deal for seniors. There’s, of course, the scholarships, participation awards, and dinner, but our band also has a tradition of Senior Wills. Seniors will down objects to underclassmen that have either been willed down to them in the past, or they buy gifts that remind them of memories or people in the band.
I’ve been willed down so much in the past four years — clothes, food, UNO card games, this crappy red trumpet that doesn’t work at all but looks really cool, and my favorite band director’s first conducting baton (but it was back when I was going to major in music education).
My senior video played (I had to make all of them [I’m going to be a film major so I enjoyed doing it] for all 16 seniors) and I started out by calling my best friend, Jack, who couldn’t be there because he was put in an alternative education program until Tuesday. I willed him down, in front of a room full of people, this really crappy, flat trombone that has been part of our band for years (and when I say flat, I mean it was flattened. By a car.
I willed down some other funny stuff — a Carley Rae Jepson CD with “Call Me Maybe” on it, a rainbow drumstick, an orange V-neck, a music lanyard, an organizational cabinet that fits in an instrument locker, a stuffed chicken that dances to both the graduation song and the chicken dance (for our director who has chicken legs), that special red trumpet that was willed down to me two years ago, and seran wrap (because I seran wrapped my director’s car during marching season).
And then I finally got to the most sentimental will of the night — my director’s conducting baton.
It took everything I had to give it away, because it reminded me of so many good things that I had happened in the past two years, and it was an item that belonged to one of the most inspirational director/performer/person that I have ever had in my life. But he gave it to me at the bandquet last year when he was under the impression that I was going to major in music. And my major changed to film back in July. But more than that, I wanted to give it to my best friend, Ryan, who is going into music education/jazz performance.
I have spent every school day with this guy for the past seven years. We sit by eachother in both jazz band and band, we have most of our classes together, and right after school, we either go eat lunch or we go volunteer over with the middle school’s symphonic band. If there is anybody I would give such an important gift to, it would be him.
The worst part is, the morning after graduation, he’s leaving to go march in a DCI corps called the Crossmen, and I’ll have moved to Austin by the time he returns. Then he’s going to SFA and I won’t see him until November (if even).
He’s just such a great guy and a great friend. Although he’s awkward a lot of the times, I grew up with him. We challenge eachother, and laugh together, and he has made me a better person by helping me through all the competitions, drum major drama, my college major change, etc. And it’s going to be so incredibly hard to go from seeing him all. the. time. to seeing him next November.
I’m sure it’ll be fine though. We’ve been friends for this long and if a guy/girl can survive being together every day, then we can survive six months.
Anyways, the bandquet was everything I expected and more. It’s just another chapter in my life complete and I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things.
Did I mention I’m going to UT this Monday and Tuesday with my school? Yeah. I am.
I’ll be at UT Austin on Monday and Tuesday to watch the UIL OAP State Plays! Just being at my future school is going to totally refreshing. Maybe I’ll get to explore some, but even if I don’t, I’ll be back in less than two weeks.
Life is good.
