The Wheels Turn [10.22.09]

Well, I am off to a better time in my life. This time goes back three years. Three years ago, I was entering a land that was new, foreign, and subtly exciting. I knew NO ONE. No one except a former teammate on my baseball team 200 miles away. A new experience in a city far from home. College. It even smelled smart. I was easily intimidated by everyone and stayed the confines of my empty, white noiseless room. This was comfort…sadly. The campus was more beautiful than I imagined. Each day, we would go around the campus with our freshman orientation group and learn the ropes. This is where I met Jenn. She and I quickly became good friends. Our sense of humors meshed into a hilarious laughing frenzy almost every time we hung out. I was glad. I had finally found someone to connect with. Through Jenn I began to meet new people. One week, we joined a intramural soccer team and there I met JJ. JJ was a crazy, long haired, freshman who lived in Jenn’s dorm. He was crazy cool and we talked for an hour outside his dorm one night after soccer about the game, life, and God. It wasn’t long before I began to hang out with his friends and thus meet more people. One night after studying a while for finals, I met up with Jenn in Johnny’s to study some more. There at the table was Jenn and her friend David Goodwin. This is when I met David, who later turned out to be my closest friend while at Calvin. We did almost everything together. One J-term, I spent the entire month in his room and never went back to my dorm. This was a fast friendship, but it was genuine. We talked late nights about some deep things; God, Grades, and Girls. He is still, to this day, the friend that I turn to for guidance and wisdom in areas I am too blind or close to see reason. I thank him for his loyal friendship, for I know that is something he values. As well as Jenn, for being the first friend and starting block to more friendships in the coming years I spent there at Calvin. I have always appreciated your enthusiasm whenever I return to visit. You are a true friend, and not many guys can say that about many people. So why go into such rich detail about a place? Why exasperate the description of a time in my life? Well, I am heading there this weekend and I am very happy to be able to see these people once again, who have made my life different. They have in most ways, shaped who I am today and have taught me many things about life. I have felt love and care from these people in ways that some never get to experience. I can say with full confidence that God had me there at that college for a very specific reason, and I feel so incredibly blessed. Thank you, to anyone who is reading this and was apart of my college experience. From the bottom of my heart. Thank You.