Year End Review 2005: Spring
Spring
During spring I took two classes. An english essay writing class and a public speaking class. The type of writing we did in that english class was large compositions, like large chapter books. The theme for the quarter was travel. This could be either physical travel or metaphorical travel. The emphasis was really on large concepts and overall layout and design. I am trying to apply the knowledge I've gathered in that class for this writing. My essay in class was about the journey of the US starting with idea’s and the founders intent, then traveling into practice and the eventual decay of democracy, and finally looking toward the future and seeing the road we are heading on, towards a society with an overwhelming top down power structure, and looking at the alternative paths away from this unfortunate trend towards cultural, economic, and political domination.
My band Michael Mays recorded an album this past spring. It was a six song EP titled 'A Puppet Called Dez'. Michael Mays is an indie/folk band with singing and acoustic guitar. In the recording I play upright bass with a bow but I recently got a cello that I have been using for this band. Again we recorded with our friends in Redmond.
I went with Aubrey to her prom in May. I decided not to go to my prom when I was a senior because I don't like the intense manufactured social structure that surrounds the entire production. So this year was my first and only prom. Besides this prom I have only been to one other high school dance. Before we went to the dance Aubrey and I, along with another couple, Mike and Ashley, got our pictures taken next to a lake. That was probably the best part of the whole night. After that we went to Cedars Indian food in The University District. I forget where the dance itself was at, but it was some fancy club next to the water. The moment we walked in the door we were surrounded by teenagers dressed in expensive formal clothing. We were, to an extent, wearing similar things, but I couldn’t help but notice the affluency of the event. There were dozens and dozens of limos and I'm sure there was a ton of money spent on other things as well. Pop and hip hop filled the room for the entire event. I was not looking forward to the event, but I wanted to please Aubrey, who was hoping the event would be special. Instead reality set in and the whole event was something she immediately realized she did not want to be a part of. We stayed as long as we could, which was about two hours. She was disappointed, but not upset. We still were able to share some time together, which made the night worth while.
My band A Kiss Farewell came to an end this May. We had just finished a demo recording three months earlier which we sent out to labels all over the nation. We actually had a record label from Toronto Canada wanting to sign us. Three of us, including myself, were excited about the potential record deal. Another member of our band was not though. He thought the offer was too small and petty. He wanted to wait for a rock-star album deal, something the rest of us knew would never happen, but he was stubborn and would not commit to the deal so we said, "Either you sign this or were going to break this band up." He never signed the contract so we split and A Kiss Farewell ended.
A childhood friend of mine, David Prisbry, got married this May. I've known him since I was in elementary school. When we were young we'd jam with other neighborhood friends. David played drums, I played bass. Later, in high school we played together in a band called Chastised. This May David was getting married to his girlfriend of about six months, she was also about four months pregnant. David had two best men, Kameran Batterman and Mike Hanson, friends of mine as well. They both repeatedly told him that getting married would be a mistake and that he was doing it for all the wrong reasons, but David wouldn't listen. I tend to believe it was because he was the only one of his Mormon siblings who was yet to be married and have children, or maybe it was because he has 'messed-up' too many times. David had gotten three MIP (minor in possession [of liquor or drug]) charges while at Central Washington University which caused him to get expelled from the campus.
I went to David's wedding. It was at the Mormon Church just down the street from my house. The same place Christine Reirerson had her Washington State reception about a year earlier, her actual marriage took place in Utah, the Mormon holy land. David’s wedding was small and I had trouble staying serious throughout the ceremony. The reception was even harder, although I did see a few friends I hadn't seen in a very long while.
I went to The Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center this May. I went to three of the four days. The day I didn't go was David's wedding. I borrowed a metal dejembe drum, dressed in dirty festival clothes, and hopped a bus down to the festival. Some go to the festival for the food, or the music, or even for the arts and crafts booths, but I like Folklife because its about the folks and its about life. Its like the people come out to see how each other are doing. Its a meeting of the masses. I spent a lot of the time wandering around seeing the sights and meeting strange and interesting people. I spent even more time joining in the drum circles that would form around the festival with the drum I had. When you get a big, loud, organic drum circle going it creates a raw flow of energy unlike anything else. Once the drum circle is big and strong people will pour into the middle and start dancing like mad. The drum circle will speed up and everyone will become soaked with sweat, dancing to the tribal rhythms. For that moment everyone is connected, creating and feeling one united pulsing beat.