salience
January 8, 2006
For those of you who did not have the (sometimes mis)fortune of going to high school in GA, you may not yet have heard of a Mr. Ben Doherty. (Miltonites, just nod in recognition, if you please.)
He has returned from touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra this summer as Tenor II/Clarinet to go back to school at Lawrence. You can find his link on the nav bar to the left, I highly recommend his tour blog.
BenD everyone:
He was explaining his touring as suddenly finding out Santa Claus didn't exist. And my heart literally skipped a beat. 'Cause while he was talking about something completely different, that is exactly how I feel about my drum major experience. While I still love band folk, and the music, there is a mystery and a giddy feeling that just doesn't exist for me anymore. It is exactly what it looks like, but it's so much more. There is nothing that can really prepare you for the shock, and where you are mentally is dependent on so many other people's emotional states, yet you have to retain a continuity that others expect. The complexity was overwhelming. And learning how to achieve the balance between doing what I had to do and enjoying it was the hardest thing to establish.
Would I do it again? Yes. I understand what Liz said so long ago when I asked her why on earth she would do it twice, and even Kristen, soon-to-be-BowesK-no-longer: "there was no one else who could have done what needed to be done." I know, my answer has changed. But with perspective, it did help shape who I am today, and without having had that previous experience with pressure, I would not be Here. I would not have stood up for myself at each turn in the road since to the same extent, and without that confidence, I wouldn't have overcome my many falls as quickly.
Like Ben said, without Santa Claus, it's not as fun, but we still love Christmas.
Yes, exactly.
He has returned from touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra this summer as Tenor II/Clarinet to go back to school at Lawrence. You can find his link on the nav bar to the left, I highly recommend his tour blog.
BenD everyone:
He was explaining his touring as suddenly finding out Santa Claus didn't exist. And my heart literally skipped a beat. 'Cause while he was talking about something completely different, that is exactly how I feel about my drum major experience. While I still love band folk, and the music, there is a mystery and a giddy feeling that just doesn't exist for me anymore. It is exactly what it looks like, but it's so much more. There is nothing that can really prepare you for the shock, and where you are mentally is dependent on so many other people's emotional states, yet you have to retain a continuity that others expect. The complexity was overwhelming. And learning how to achieve the balance between doing what I had to do and enjoying it was the hardest thing to establish.
Would I do it again? Yes. I understand what Liz said so long ago when I asked her why on earth she would do it twice, and even Kristen, soon-to-be-BowesK-no-longer: "there was no one else who could have done what needed to be done." I know, my answer has changed. But with perspective, it did help shape who I am today, and without having had that previous experience with pressure, I would not be Here. I would not have stood up for myself at each turn in the road since to the same extent, and without that confidence, I wouldn't have overcome my many falls as quickly.
Like Ben said, without Santa Claus, it's not as fun, but we still love Christmas.
Yes, exactly.
lasaliente, 23:26
