Nothing Changes but the Seasons

When I was in college a movie called Beautiful Girls was one of my absolute favorites. Its sort a grown up coming of age story from the perspective of a man who returns to his home town for a high school reunion. It's got laugh's, it's got drama, it's got Rosie O'Donnell and it's got an awkwardly realistic ending where one of the high school buddies offers the main character a farewell along the lines of "Come back and see us, nothing changes here but the seasons." 

Day to day living feels very much the same, I'd even say it seems boring most of the time. Then a big change happens and a friend moves away. All of a sudden I'm engulfed by the minutia, the tiny bits of life and relationship with that person that overtime became overlooked and unappreciated.  Game changed. Now, in my head, its all changes all the time. Nothing is the same. And I'm not convinced that this upside down world will ever right itself. Why did I not appreciate those little bits more while I could?


I've said a lot of goodbyes in my day. Its an geographical hazard when you live in a college town where residents tend to be more transient than most places. Whenever that happens, that scene from Beautiful Girls comes to mind because in my experience its so real. The leaving is such a big deal in the moment but there will come a point, and it's always sooner rather than later, when the change will feel less big.  And the distance will settle in. And equilibrium returns. And this becomes part of the story I tell about back in the day when those friends lived in that house. And the only thing that seems to change, is the season.

Moving out

While I was waiting for a meeting to start, I watched students and parents haul a year's worth of college dorm tackle out the door.  I still have vivid memories of my first year of college. I wish I could say, well it was just a few years ago but that would be lying and liars go to hell which sounds unpleasant.

It was so exciting, I just could not believe that the time had finally come for me to get the heck out of my mom’s house, my home town and my old life.  I was so excited I cried. Ok, that’s a lie too. I was so stinking terrified, I cried when I couldn’t think of any more errands to run or sites to see and my family finally drove away.

I don’t remember what happened after they left but it must have gotten better almost immediately because I remember that in total, freshman year rocked. Rocked so much I still smile when I think about parts of it. I want my future kids to have a freshman year that is so awesome they never want to leave college. I made life-long friends that year. Literally people that could read this and tell you exactly what year these freshman events occurred because they were there with me. But they are all smart people and that information would not come cheap I’m sure.

Life is good these days, I’d never want to go back and do it again and if I am ever in your presence and say that out loud, feel free to kick me. But it was definitely fun while it lasted.