A reflection... a rowflection?

"College isn't real life." I still believe it, but only generally. Upon growing into the team, I saw that I had forgotten what it's like to be social. There are certainly real feelings and friendships. I still miss GRCC, but not nearly as much now. My best friends there - the ones who gave my education personal meaning and lasting inspiration - are staff and faculty: Rog, Bob, M. Ryden, Laurie, Joey, and Shavaal.

Bob recited a question posed to him sometimes, "'Don’t you get bored teaching stuff over and over and over again?' I don’t teach ‘stuff,’ I teach people.” I'm heavily considering changing my major, maybe something I should have done some time ago.

I remember my first time sitting on an erg. They were lined up in my high school's music hallway.

I remember my first wearing my uniform rowing shirt. I let it sag a little because I didn't like how short it was.

I remember my first indoor regatta, and how proud I was of my 7:32 2k.

I remember my first race on the water; I sat 5 and and Z sat 6 over the Grand River. In it, I caught my first - and three consecutive - crabs. I remember how because of them, I was afraid to pull hard for the rest of the season.

I remember walking Toby around regattas for the sole purpose of picking up females.

I remember while derigging, Coach Moon explaining to Chris and me the lab study of to female rats successfully reproducing together. "In other words, 'lesbian love.'"

I remember Geoff... and his sprints.

I remember wet docking at Stony Creek.

I remember Swedish Betany rubbing Zeth's nipple at the end of my first season.

I remember meeting Dave George.

I remember my first time rowing the Canadian Henley, and finishing the same place every year. I remember my first time inside Regatta Sport; my 4 wrote on their graffiti wall and I bought "either // oar." I remember, in 2005, how all the future hipsters at school thought it was an Elliot Smith reference. I remember when Mr. Ronda Tire treated our boat to Hard Rock Cafe by Niagra Falls.

I remember my last erged 2k in high school. 6:50 at 27 spm.

I remember my last time at the Canadian Henley. I remember eating at Domino's, playing Apples to Apples with the closest thing I had to chance with "the Verkadian," and then ruining it along my trip.

I remember two years later, when I decided I wanted to go to State. I also decided exactly what I wanted to do there.

I remember meeting some of my favorite people here, along with maybe my favorite person, too.

I've rowed more than a million meters on the Grand River. I'm back at 5 seat; I used to hold top measurements, and now I'm close to the smallest man in my boat; I now get seat raced. I still like coxswains, though.

post script... I think my iPod is dead for good, conveniently a day before a 20-hour road trip, and when I'm laughably out of funds for a replacement. I'll just sit next to someone who has an iPod Touch to dick around with.