I get to write this morning because I left the assessments I need to grade at home.

#oops

The whole carpooling thing with my wife is a work in progress. It’s been a quarter (how is that possible) and we are still working to leave at a set time. Mostly it’s me because I’m so darn distractable. However, she’s guilty of making us late a couple of times too. Either way, I get some writing time before school.

#useitwisely

I would, but people keep stopping in to talk! 🙂

Anyway, two weekends ago, we had the chance to visit our old college stomping grounds in Winona, Minnesota. We spent 5 years there, living the lives of college students. It’s where I met my best friend, Kevin, and where I met my wife as well. He and his wife suggested we meet up for homecoming, which we agreed, so we quickly grabbed a hotel room and prepared for the rush of memories.

We got there early, so we drove around to check out old haunts. Winona is on the Mississippi River, so we walked along the riverfront, quietly think about all the times we were together, just taking a late night stroll. We had lunch the coffee house where I was introduced to a cafe latte. We’d come down to this spot to study and have coffee, return to our room, where she’d sleep and I’d lay awake, feeling the air on my arm because I wasn’t used to all that caffeine! So many things were the same, but so much had changed. Old apartment building were repainted, resided, or just gone. Familar businesses were replaced with something new. But, the Winona Lake was the lake. Many of the places we went to in our youth were still around. The liquor store where we’d get kegs for my wife’s house parties was still there! The jewelry store where I got my wife’s wedding present was still there as well.

The “Winona State Gameday Experience” was wild because the president of the university at the time pretty much made the campus a dry one. Well, as we walked up Saturday, the first shock was our apartment building was gone, and in its place was a huge solar array and covered parking. As we continued in, the “game day experience” was pretty awesome! They had games, vendors, food, music, and just a whole bunch of cool stuff going on! My wife and I were all “WTH Winona State” but it was a pretty awesome seeing how the college was competing for the pre-game dollars.

We met up with Kevin and his wife, took our seats, and watched as Winona State put up 28 points in the first half, which was awesome! The problem was, they gave up 31 point, but hey, keep that energy, right?

#wrong

The second half was a disaster and we lost 48-28.

As I said above, the memories came crashing back. I spent a year on the Winona State Football Team back in the 1989-90 school year. While WSU isn’t a big school, being on the field again was almost surreal, 29 years late. Back in the day, I just relied on solely talent. I didn’t lift, I didn’t watch film, I didn’t do any of that stuff simply because I didn’t know how to. It’s a big time cop out, but I did the same thing during high school. I never looked as the “extra” stuff in athletics as necessary. I was naturally fast, strong, and could dunk at 5’11”, all without doing the things that takes a good athlete and makes them great. Looking back, I think I could have taken my talent and played on this team. But with the attitude and work ethic, I never saw the field, and with good reason. I worked hard, but I was in over my head and realize that now. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. I loved being part of something bigger, and even though I was constantly beat up, I wouldn’t change it for the world. There were some cool people I had the chance to meet and not everyone can say they’ve played college sports of any kind.

After the game, we met up and a restaurant for supper, and a friend from 30 years ago surprised us! The 5 of us had dinner together, then a drink afterwards just catching up on old times, remember friends from the past, and where our lives had taken us.

The best part of all this: I felt at ease. I went to a couple of high school reunions and never felt that sense of belonging. With this group, that’s never been an issue. Kevin and I hit it off the first day and from there on, we’ve been friends. He’s gone through a tough spot in his life and has come out so much better and I’m all for that energy. Next year, we’ll see about including another couple with us as well.

Sometimes, you need those reunions just to prove to yourself just how far you’ve gotten. Sometimes, it’s good to remember what “back in the day” really looked like and how good we really had it. As middle age hits hard right now, that sense of melocoly pops up more and more. Those “what if” questions show their heads, and it’s good to be reminded that many of my choices have turned out just fine. If I could go back, sure I’d tweek a few things, but honestly, I’m quite content with the choices made and their outcomes.

#lifeisgood

It really is and it takes something like, a celebration of our past to let us know that our present isn’t all that bad, and that our future has some promising things coming!

And what the hell, Winona State, why’d you do us dirty like that all those year ago?? We had fun, but oh, how much more fun we could have had?!?!

#youdidjustfineinthefundepartment