Shall We Dance?

The broom takes one last sweep across the floor, leaving behind the reflection of the orchestra in the glow of the stage lights.  The conductor raises his baton and the music fills the room like the warmth from a fireplace.  Couples all around you begin to take the floor and glide smoothly across the floor as though they were skating in Rockefellar Plaza.  Suddenly a light reflecting off of something on the other side of the dance floor catches your eye and you notice a beautiful young woman wearing the most elegant ballroom dress you have ever seen.  You begin to journey toward her and when you reach her you take a deep breath before asking, “Shall we dance?”

What is your favorite type of dancing?  Is it the type of dancing you would find in the story above?  Is it the type of dancing Chris Brown would be jealous of?  Or is it the type of dancing Hitch taught to Albert Brennaman?   Personally, I like many types of dances but there is one that I will always turn to as my personal favorite.  The Waltz.

Yea, sure the waltz may seem like a simple 1-2-3 step but there is so much more that makes the waltz my favorite.  The waltz is such a beautiful dance.  No other dance allows you to glide across the dance floor like the waltz.  No other dance allows you to show how beautiful your dance partner is.  To watch a couple waltz is like watching snow fall.  The smoothness and soft landing of each flake is like the softness of the feet as they move to the music.  The waltz is so elegant and smooth.  You are creating and experiencing something beautiful when you waltz.  The music from a waltz makes you relax in the most unique way and allows you to enjoy the music while you give your partner the frame where she will never look anything less than exquisite.  There is a beauty that can only be found on the dance floor and the waltz is the window through which you will see it.

I hope the next time you take a step onto the dance floor you give waltzing a try.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed and maybe, just maybe, you’ll experience that certain beauty that only comes from the waltz and asking that beautiful young woman glowing in the soft light, “Shall we dance?”

What Was It Like?

Have you ever visited a town where a summertime stroll along the sidewalk brings you the sight of couples young and old, strollers, or Mr. Fredrickson’s dog?  Where you could walk into the ice cream parlor and find that everyone sitting at the bar eating the signature sundae with the cherry on top know each other.  Where the local jazz band is serenading the town square with Glenn Miller’s classic “In the Mood“.  If you have ever visited such a place or will at some point, have you ever thought to yourself, “I wonder what this place was like in it’s heyday?”

Can you imagine living during the time when the radio that took five minutes to warm-up only played the songs that now make us take a deep breath and relax.  Songs like “Sh-Boom” or “Cupid” or “Earth Angel”.  A time when you could leave the front door unlocked, walk down the sidewalk to the town square, and enjoy the home cooking of the entire town.  I would have loved to live during a time like this.  I would have loved to experience the music, the style, the rhythm of a town than ran on the happiness of its citizens.  There are still places like this in America but only a select few.  We are now mostly left with places that have lost its luster, its enthusiasm, its identity.  Places that don’t take care enough to want to travel back in time.  The period when its downtown was filled each and every Saturday with wide-eyed children peering through the windows of the overfilled toy shop longing for their favorite item.  A downtown where the street lights cast a soft glow over a couple strolling along the sidewalk after a candlelight dinner at the outdoor restaurant with tables looking out past the white wooden bridge spanning the river filled with lilies and mallards.

Maybe one day we will be able to have this experience in every town we visit but until then, we are left to enjoy our experience when we do stumble upon a town that takes us back to the days of Sam Cooke, The Platters, or The Tokens.  If you ever find a town that makes you want to sit on the sidewalk bench, forget about “the world out there”, and soak up the crisp summer evening as families walk by taking their children for dessert at the ice cream parlor, please let me know.

I’ll join you.  We can grab a sundae and remember what it was like.

In the Misty Stillness

It is a rare opportunity for one to soak up the beautiful silence of Wake Forest University.  This certain stillness and peacefulness one may only find deep in the woods where the woodpecker taps his favorite song.  I was able to enjoy this serenity trekking back toward Polo on Allen Easley Drive this evening.  In the misty stillness I thought to myself…

…Is there ever a better time in one’s life than these 4 years to be a sponge?  I am talking about a massive sponge.  One that would stretch beyond the farthest borders of any city, state, or country.  One that even Paul Bunyan would have trouble holding.  You may or may not think this is true, but as we begin a new semester here at Wake Forest, I know for a fact that these 4 years will stand alone as a story quite possibly greater than Mr. Harry Potter himself.

I have so many friends entering their final semester at Wake.  So many friends taking their final bows and singing their last song that will forever resonate through the halls of this great institution.  So many friends soaking up every last drop of the undergraduate experience.  Thinking about these friends not being present in the fall of 2010 makes me want to stop the clock from ticking.  It has also made me think about everything that has happened since I have been here and what may or may not happen in the next year.

I came in like many students do, wide-eyed, young, and wondering, “now what?”  Since that first day on campus, I have become someone who I never would have imagined.  My experiences have been nothing short of spectacular over the past 5 semesters and I have learned more than you can imagine.  Isn’t that what college is; a great chance to not only receive instruction but to “learn”.  Yes, I have learned a lot in classrooms like Tribble B212 or Greene 145, but deep down I know that what I discovered in places like Johnson B220 or Polo 335 will have a deeper impact in my life.  I will be the person I am in the future because of the long talks that lead to sunrise or the lunch conversations that spill over into dinner.  Isn’t that awesome?!?  I can do nothing but smile when I think about the people I have met and built a relationship with here at Wake Forest University.  The people who taught me that I am not the person I think I am.  The people who taught me that no matter how much you find, the ocean still has many beautiful things to discover.

I look forward to soaking up all that the next 3 semesters will allow me to.  While the departure of many friends this May will no doubt  cloud up a sunny sky, I know that the rays will shine through again to reveal a brand new day that will be full of brand new things to discover.

These are the moments.  These are the pictures.  These are the times.

Let’s enjoy all that we can.

Au Revoir

How was your 2009?  No matter what your answer is, the time has come for the calendar to turn over the the next decade.  That’s right.  In case you haven’t heard, it’s been a decade.  Ten years.  The world, your life, and my life have all changed drastically over the past ten years.

Do you remember what it was like back in 2000?  As we prepared to enter the new decade in 1999, we weren’t in the age of full body scans at airports.  We didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg just to drive to the grocery store.  Whether it’s the music, airports, or the political scene, everything has changed since 2000.  We are in a new age and will more than likely spend the next decade changing even more.  Enough about the past decade, what about 2009?

What a ride 2009 has been.  I have experienced SO much this past year and I am so thankful for it.  Whether it was chilly January, balmy June, or crisp September, each month brought it’s up and downs and came together to create a year that was worth remembering.  As the clock continues to tick, remembering and enjoying all that happens over the span of a year becomes more and more meaningful.  For most of us, we probably can’t remember the first couple of years of life but becoming older allows us to take those photos from our memories and put them in the picture frames that sit on the mantle.  What photos will you print out and put in your frames?  For me, photos from the NCAA Tournament in Miami along with my experience in Tours, France and President’s Ball 2009 at Wake will all be placed on the mantle.  Of course there are quite a few more photos to print out but that would take another year to list them out.  I hope your mantle will be full of photos that will take you back to those times you will never forget.

So as you find your photos and print them out, as you spend time with family ringing in the New Year, and as you remember all that 2009 was, I hope you are looking forward to 2010 and another year full of amazing memories.

Hello 2010, goodnight 2009:

Do You Sing?

If you were to tell me you have never graced the world with your vocal capabilities I would be very surprised.  Whether it is an entire song, one phrase, or maybe even one word, I am supremely confident everyone has sung at least once in life.  Driving back home this evening made me think, “I wonder where and what most people sing?”  (And I mean actually sing)

We’re not talking about Ashlee Simpson type singing.  We’re talking about singing like you are on the stage with millions of people calling in on the phone lines hoping that you win so they can buy your album.  This type of singing usually requires one to be alone and in a place where they will sound good no matter how much howling Snoopy does.  More often than not, this brings us to the shower.  Maybe you even have the handy-dandy iPod shower radio with the stereo speakers and the see through cover and the convenient hook on the top so you can have Beyoncé or Kanye back you up.  Another place where you may belt out your best is probably the car.  This is where you can scan the iPod for those songs where you know “you don’t sound bad”.  Nothing beats driving down the road blaring your music and singing loud enough for the person sitting at the red light to look over and think, “Are you serious?”  No matter what the music, belt it out with pride, even if you are in a car with a bunch of guys, windows rolled down, and “Party in the U.S.A.” vibrating the windows of the cars in the parking lot…(yes, I have seen this)

So whether you are in the shower, in the car, on the stage, or just in a practice room, belt it out.  Make Taylor proud, let Mr. Mayer back you up, embarrass Kanye with your rap skills.  It’s just you and the music…

…and the roommate walking by the bathroom and the person in the car beside you and the choir director walking by the practice room and…

…well, nevermind.

Do you know all the words?:

Perfection

When you think of perfection what comes to mind?  Is it a 1600 on the S.A.T. (technically 2400 now)?  Is it going 39-0 to win the NCAA Basketball Championship?  Is is getting all the answers right on a calculus test?  While each of these things seem perfect, there are still things within each one that just aren’t quite right.  Maybe the tests turned out well because of guesses.  During a 39-0 season, teams will still have problems.  After spending some time at Wake Forest this past Saturday, there is one thing that I know is perfect.

Have you ever seen snow just after the last snowflake has fallen?  This past Saturday following the first snowfall of the season for Winston-Salem, I had the chance to walk to the Quad at Wake Forest University and see what the snow had created here on earth.  With students on break and the campus closed for the inclement weather, nobody had set foot on the Quad before I arrived.  In the silence that greeted me, I knew that I was viewing something perfect.

The snow had fallen on everything just right.  It was as though someone had taken a knife and spread the frosting on the cake without blemish.  Like someone had formed the perfect ice cream cone.  As I created the first footprints in the snow, nothing but a smile could come to my face knowing that something so beautiful could exist in a world that is full of dirt.  Despite all of our dirtiness, we are still blessed with something that makes for great portraits on a wall.  A sense of content comes over you as you look at such a spectacle and realize that God is sovereign and more than we could ever ask for.  I look forward to the next time I can experience such an amazing display of God’s beauty.

The next time you have the opportunity to be the first one to see fresh snow and create your footprints, I hope you are able to experience the beauty and serenity I did that Saturday at Wake Forest University.

The perfect frosting

Snow's Perfection

Wait Chapel

Home

As semesters wind down around the country, students look forward to something more than classes ending, papers vanishing, and not having that 8 A.M. class.  More than the presents to come and the food to be had, students long for that one special thing:  Home.

If you know me well enough then you probably know that I don’t go home very often.  Unless the dorms are closed at Wake, you probably won’t be able to find me within the city limits of Rocky Mount.  While I don’t venture back to where I grew up frequently, spending the past few days here and reading what others are doing now has made me think about the things that make home so wonderful.

Comfort.  If I had to sum up what makes home so amazing in one word, ‘comfort’ would be it.  When we as students pack clothes for the break and board flights, we know what we are coming home to.  We know that mom and dad will be there to greet us with a big hug when we arrive at the door or get off the plane.  We know the warmth of the bed and the smell of the house that remind us all why this is one of the best times of the year.  We get the chance to enjoy all that has been missing for an entire semester.  The smell of mom’s pie in the oven or dad’s coffee in the morning hit the spot just right.  We are coming back to the friends we spent our high school years hanging out with.  The same basketball courts with the rims that bounce just right and the same coffee shop with the chair that sinks just low enough are all still there.  The roads we used to travel every weekend to go to the restaurant that is on the same street with the same sweet waitress who always knows what you want to order and makes you feel like family are all still there.  The traditions of the Christmas season also allow us to go to sleep each night with a smile on our face.  Whether it is opening one present Christmas Eve or traveling to Grandma’s house on Christmas Day where cell phones are a thing of the future, it is all still there.

It is all these things and many more that make home the best present for students returning from a long semester.  So whether there is snow or it is just downright cold, this Christmas is sure to be full of students glad to be Home.

While we are all enjoying home, let us not forget those that are sacrificing this Christmas season to serve our country overseas.  Enjoy this Christmas classic with a salute to our troops.

Where Did It Go?

To say the 2009 Fall Semester at Wake Forest went fast would be an understatement.  In the blink of an eye, we went from 90-Degree weather and seeing the syllabus for the first time to 30-Degree weather and studying for final exams.

As the weeks continue to go by at Wake and I inch closer and closer to the next phase in life, it hits me day in and day out that my time as an undergrad student is dwindling.  The chance to make the most of four years is slipping away.  I will never have another opportunity like this in life to spend quality time with friends pouring my heart out or study with others for an exam the following morning.  These are times I cherish.  This is what makes these four years of our lives some of the best we will ever experience.  Each click of the heel on the Quad bricks sounds a reminder that I need to enjoy this.  We need to enjoy this.  Max it out.  Live passionately for what we believe in.  I need to make stronger relationships I have built now and not be so concerned about what the next test grade means.

Needless to say, Fall 2009 has been one hellofuva ride.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been on Cloud 9 or how many times I felt the storms of life.  There were weeks at a time where I never felt the comfort of my bed, falling asleep in our living room from utter exhaustion.  Days at a time where I would lose track of what I was supposed to be doing or didn’t give everything my friends deserved.  Numerous times where I couldn’t get through a day without forcing myself to be what others wanted me to be.  I was not someone I wanted to be, needed to be, and forced myself to be what others wanted to see.  Would I like to go back and change any of this?  No.  The past is the past and I have learned a lot from it.  I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future and that is the beauty of it.  We don’t deserve to know.  Our job is not to search for the answers we feel God has for us.  Our job is to live for Him…glorify Him…worship Him…focus on Him.  If we do this, then maybe, just maybe, things will become clear.  They may or may not; it’s all in God’s time.

Time.  What a profound topic…

To this day, I never regret what has happened the past 5 semesters at Wake Forest University.  I am a stronger person, a smarter person, and changed person since coming to Wake.  I have learned so much from those I am around and relationships I have built.

Thank you.  Thank you for teaching me and making me a better person.  My life is better now than it was 5 semesters ago and you are the reason for it.  I love you and look forward to what the future has in store.

The End of a Great Run

This past weekend’s victory over the Duke Blue Devils officially marked the end of marching with The Spirit of the Old Gold and Black for 15 dedicated and passionate seniors.  Without a bowl game to look forward to during the Christmas Break, the Class of 2010 was left with the memories of performing for the last time on BB&T field during halftime of the Florida State football game and passionately cheering on our Deacs with fellow band members in the stands.  Our Seniors have given us the torch to carry on the tradition and “passion that defies explanation”  they have so diligently shown since the fall of 2006.  Nothing but “thanks” can be given to a group that has seen the band grow in both size and quality under their leadership over the past 4 years.  For many, this is the last time they will ever have the opportunity to perform in front of more than 30,000 people with more than 100 other family members who are all there because they love what they do.  They will forever be a part of the SOTOGAB family and have left a mark that will never be washed away.

Personally, I can’t say enough about how much I will miss members of this Senior class.  I have poured out my heart to a couple of them and have become very good friends with many others.  I will never forget the times I have shared and how I know I am a better person because of relationships I have built over the past 3 years.  Thank you for being in my life and I hope the future holds many more wonderful moments.

So, THANK YOU Class of 2010.  You have taken SOTOGAB to high levels and will forever be in our hearts.  We are family and we are…SOTOGAB.

Elite Eight x2

The 2009 NCAA College Cup for both the women’s and men’s soccer teams has been, and continues to be, one of the most successful combined post-season efforts in school history.

On Friday, November 27, our women’s soccer team faced the formidable North Carolina Tar Heels at Fetzer Field in Chapel-Hill, NC in the Elite Eight of the Women’s College Cup.  This was the first time our women’s team has ever journeyed past the Sweet 16.  Unfortunately, the Deacs fell 5-2 to a Tar Heel team that looked as though they could compete in the Men’s College Cup.  Many came out to support the Deacs on their quest for the championship and cheered their hearts out, doing their best to will the team to victory.  This team was a great joy to watch the entire season and the seniors who are departing will be missed greatly on the field next season.  I can’t say enough about the quality of coaching we have in Tony Da Luz and the assistant coaches.  I enjoy working for them on gamedays to ensure they do not have to worry about anything other than coaching their team to victory.  Thanks for a great season Deacs and I look forward to what next year has in store.

Sunday, November 29 saw the men’s soccer team advance to the Elite Eight once again.  This time the Deacons defeated in-state rival Duke University to secure a spot in the round of 8.  The next game for the Deacs is scheduled for either Friday, December 4 or Saturday, December 5.  A 3-0 lead at the half with goals from Zach Schilawski and Sam Redmond was able to withstand a penalty shot from Duke and another goal late in the second half.  Duke came out of the gate with the looks of a team that was poised to move on in the tournament and leave Wake Forest wondering what had happened.  Fortunately, the Deacs were able to turn it around and finish off Duke with an Austin Da Luz goal in the second half.  At the beginning of the season, many soccer experts did not have Wake Forest making it this far in the tournament.  This post-season success, much like the women’s team, can be attributed to the quality coaching.  Jay Vidovich has built a team at Wake Forest that players want to be a part of.  If the Deacons continue to play up to their potential, a second National Championship in the last 3 years seems very possible.