Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Guest Writer Wednesday: Bill Meyer on the Mini Reunion

First of all, I'd like for you to know that JoAnne told me she "expects (me) to submit something" for the Scribblings page, so don't worry that she's stepping down. If you find that reading this has been an excruciating waste of your time ... blame her.

But (especially after last weekend), I'll do anything JoAnne asks me to do. :-)

To the people who were not there last weekend, you don't know what you missed.
It was like the last 30 years never happened. Goober said it was like being 14 again ...

Lots of clichés.
Or so they seem, but ...


To me, the truest meaning of these phrases was felt on a level I've rarely known. We met each other after a really long time, and I know it could have, maybe even should have been an anxious and somewhat scary thing for me, but I was ... comfortable. And I think 'most everyone else there felt the same.

Why? Why is it that we are able to do this, be this at ease with so many people, when so much has happened to me, to you, since we last met?

In the run-up to the reunion I mentioned our event to friends and co-workers, and the inevitable comparison was made to a high school reunion. Even for those who attended on a more regular basis, I'm sure no school could match the level of familiarity we had with each other. In fact, school was one of the few interruptions many of us had from our life in drum corps, or more precisely The Saints Drum Corps. We raised money together, practiced together, car-pooled, competed, partied, traveled, hung-out, partied (oops), shared music, played games, teased & harassed - but always stuck up for - each other. We GREW UP together.

I used the word familiarity earlier. It's based on the word family. Another cliché, I know, but how else does one describe our relationship?

To my brothers and sisters, and moms, dads, aunts and uncles - thank you all for being part of me, and it was damned good to see so many of you last week. Mongo loves you all.

Bill Meyer


Thanks go to Bill Meyer for submitting the first Scribblings entry for Guest Writer Wednesday! Be part of the crew - send your submission to joparente.saintsdrumcorps@gmail.com.



All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

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