The Memories

I thought I would get a little sentimental on you this one, because I had a lot of thoughts rush through my head last night. As you may/may not be aware, I am a senior this year. That means less than 30 days until I walk through the campus for the last time as a current student. Everyone in college can remember the day they walked through the line as a senior in high school, grabbed their diploma, and was on their way to freedom. In college you have the freedom already, and this time its a walk to a new step in life, even bigger than the one before. its a bitter-sweet good-bye to the things you have come to know and love over the past four years. For me, it will be the end of a great experience in which I met so many great people, made so many fond memories, and learned just who I was. I have a lot of great friends here at college, and I hope to stay in touch with them after graduation in May.
Last night, we had the student recital in which a handful of the students were classmates of mine for four years. As they played their songs, I began to think about all the times I had throughout the past four years. Next year is going to be completely different for me. At this small school you truly get to know everyone on a personal basis, and you know everything about each other. You support the other people and they support you. Its truly a family, and I continue to keep realizing that fate is only a month away. In a month we won't be side by side anymore, talking to each other every day in person, we won't be helping each other with assignments, or going to activities on a regular basis. We'll all go our separate ways, and communication by e-mail for many will be the most we see each other for the rest of our lives. I just pray that we all remember the people we met, and the memories made and hold on to and cherish those memories for the rest of our lives, as I know I will.
Fortunately for me, I have at least another 2 years of school ahead of me, as I was accepted into graduate school at UN-L. That is a completely different atmosphere, but I think it will be important for me to continue to build new relationships, as well as try to make time to keep the old strong. As I said before, it is a bitter-sweet rejoicing for graduation from college, because now it is time for the real-world. No more late nights every night because you don't have class until 11am, and no more activities planned for you where you just have to go a walk down the sidewalk to get to. You have to take responsibility and that can be scary. I know some people do not like the song, but the lyrics to Vitamin C's song Graduation (Friends Forever) summarize exactly how I am feeling right now, so I thought I would add them here for you to read, especially as you get set to graduate from high school, or maybe are exploring new paths.

And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of that night in June I
didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real blue
Stay at home talking on the telephone
We would get so excited and we'd get so scared
Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair

And this is how it feels[1] -
As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come Whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever

So if we get the big jobs
And we make the big money
When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?C
an Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

And this is how it feels
As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come Whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever

We will still be friends forever
Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

And this is how it feels
As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come Whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever

So that's how I feel. We don't know what comes next for us, or how we will change, but the bottom line is to keep living life to its fullest and try to keep in touch with those we love. I challenge you to do the same, and I hope that God continues to bless you in ways you never knew. So as I end each blog,

Until Next Time,

Tony "Laz" Lazarowicz