The day started out with geocaching. The rain held off to the far west, and we seized the day. We headed out to Georgetown, and then worked our way East to Ipswich. On the way to Essex, traffic was so abysmal that we gave up in downtown and pulled into Woodman's and had lunch.
We figured out quickly why traffic was so awful. On top of the paving project that had things down to one lane, it was Gordon College's graduation day. There were Gordonoids everywhere with their families, all heading out to lunch.
15 years ago this weekend Doug and I graduated from this beacon of Evangelical academia, and I got the willies looking around at all the people. All the Jesus fish, the "My God is Awesome" bumper stickers (If you really believe that, He is Everyone's God -- not just yours, you selfish jerk). All the shiny happy people in their perfect clothing and wonderful teeth.
Doug popped a scallop into his mouth and said "Welcome home."
Doug and I weren't like that when we were there, and we're still not like that.
We're kind of the black sheep. I remember when I told members of my youth group that I was going to Gordon way back in 1984 someone said "That's not good. It'll be like Jerry Garcia going to meet the Pope." And I asked him what his impression of me was, that I was some sort of aloof pothead, and the Pope would be so far above me that he wouldn't give me audience? Personally, Jerry Garcia and the Pope probably would have gotten along okay. Nice, mellow, laid back guys. It wouldn't be like Marilyn Manson going to meet the Pope.
His point being in essence, that I wasn't "like them" there at that college. That I was a tad more "free spirit" and different. He was sorry he offended me, and realized that indeed the Pope and ole Jerry there probably would have gotten along okay. And in the end, because of Jerry's niceness more than the Pope's acceptance.
And pretty much, my college career was just that. Me not fitting in, but me always being willing to be nice and helpful... but surrounded by people who felt their faith was better than mine, their God more Awesome.
Thing is... if you believe this stuff, it's the same God. Knuckleheads.
So I met Doug and we graduated together and life has gone on some weird and wonderful courses. All told, my faith is as strong and as pure as it was in 1984. I wonder about the person who questioned my going to a Christian college, he who is now divorced and business bankrupt.
After a wonderful and delicious meal at Woodman's, we eventually got back on the road, hit a couple of caches in Gloucester and Rockport, and headed home.
Jessie and I had planned to go into Boston to visit K in the hospital, she can have visitors now... but her dad called when we got home and said that she was overwhelmed with visitors and that it would probably be a good idea if we didn't come down immediately but gave her a little time. I fully agreed -- what was best for her over rode any desire to go into town and hug her... thus pushing her over the edge of what she could handle.
I took Jessie with me to go see All About Buford last night.
The show's opener was a high school student from Natick named Liz Hanna (Not sure if there is an H at the end there, and a web search didn't help). I am always wary of opening acts. Especially people I've never heard of before.
Liz was tremendously talented... she possesses a effortly gorgeous voice, and is an excellent keyboard player. But it was kind of strange watching her set... all her songs were these sad, painful, adolescent-angst kinds of songs, and all were at the same tempo. I wondered though, very deeply, where the pain in her songs was coming from. She didn't seem at all to be a waify, lost soul, wandering the earth looking for somewhere to belong and someone to love her. People there LOVED this girl, and you could tell there was an upwelling of familial and friend support.
I caught a lot of Ben Folds chord progression styling coming out of the first two songs, but when I asked her if she listened to him, she didn't know him at all.
She will be a tremendous performer. As long as she keeps developing her craft songs and maybe makes an angular break from the sadness content and comes at songs from a different perspective, a different voice. And then mixes things up a bit with speed against slowness.
We write what we know, more often than not. So I just had to sit there and ponder, at such a young, fresh age with what seems like a solid base of support -- where did the sadness come from?
All About Buford took the stage after Liz. It was a hard performance to watch, knowing that these four voices are not going to work together in this way again. There are certain notes, certain harmonies and certain places that they take my hearing, that I won't soon be able to find again. Taunia even sang the hell out of "My Funny Valentine," which is my favorite song that she does. It always makes me cry, but it was even more poignant last night to know that I wouldn't hear Amy singing the backing harmony to that again.
One of the first times I heard them sing together was in Taunia's living room in her Medford apartment, a few years back. I remember just being amazed at how the two of their voices could hit together so nicely. With what seemed like such little effort. They sang a Jonatha Brooke song, and I can't hear Jonatha's version without thinking that she doesn't do it nearly as well.
But Semisonic sang "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..." and I sure hope that success and happiness follow each member in each incarnation of the band as they go their different ways. So it was a sad night. A lot of fun, but ... in the end a real sadness. I'm glad Jessie was there with me. It kept me from bawling like a baby.
Today sucks. It is pouring again. I'm incredibly glad that we got out for as much caching as we were able to get yesterday. I still have a horrible pain in my neck, but it is a lot less than it was. Another hot shower today and maybe some time on the heating pad later. We did get to talk to K on the phone a little while ago, and will probably call her again this evening. I think after work tomorrow I'm going to aim for bringing Jessie to the city to go see her. She may be in hospital for a while... must give her love. Please pray for her and her family. It's a rough row to hoe.
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