Ready to Run
The 20s are all about anticipation. Change is a coming, that I can tell you. For some reason, the last thing my dad said to me before I left for school this year has stuck with me. He said that major changes would be coming down the pipeline (lol at the struck down Keystone XL pipeline *ayyee Senate) and he was absolutely correct. The weird thing is they have not been massive so much as they have been incognito. Small, subtle changes with minute yet noticeable impacts. At the same time, I'm ready for the bigger stuff to come on down (your the next contestant on the Price is Right). I'm ready to run.
You know in writing these posts it's interesting for me to reflect a little bit on how even the composition of these pieces has changed drastically and the ways in which it continues to do so. Recently, I've been triggered by memories or connections to things, expounding upon them, and then forging ahead in relating them to the current endeavors of my life. Even this post sent many a thought blazing through my mind. I'll just say that it's funny that now that my senior year of college has come around that I'm looking back to look ahead. And here it comes full circle to tie it all together, I'm ready to run.
My college experience has been marked every November since my embarking on this four year journey at my institution of higher education with a quirky, kind of weird, quasi-embarrassing marking point - One Direction album releases. Many a blog post title, allegorical reference, or fanboy gif has been used in my blog posts. Every year during this time, my blog blows up with an inundation of boyband overload. I always say that I'm over it, and that I'm too old to enjoy their music, lifestyle, or brand but the truth is that I've grown up with One Direction. Their my age and ever since I special ordered their first album "Up All Night" (the Yearbook Edition; deluxe or go home people) from the UK for $30 (making it my first ever physical CD purchase) I'd felt connected to them. Maybe it their ambiguity in trying have creative reign over themselves, much like myself in my time in college, or their preppy turned punk-hipster style (again, I've been channeling my inner Niall Horan for the past three years), whatever it is - they've been a constant staple in my ever-changing life. Every song they've released I've snatched it up like it was my day job (but yeah Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Billboard or like anyone give me a job to do so and you won't be disappointed). From their X-Factor beginnings to running the world so to say with their fourth studio album entitled "Four" - "the boys" as their fans call them (the idea of fans does not sit well with me but that's besides the point) are ready to run (the world, for Parliament, for normal lives ... who knows).
It's cheesy and cliché to say I've found meaning in their music but past the crooning lyrics, boy-next door charm, and infectious beats, I think the concept of their path to adulthood has intrigued me most. They have grown up. Their music has evolved from pure pop to their latest entry being more of a folk/80's soft rock limited play. Their style, the way they carry themselves, and ultimately who they are has changed as well (including the additions to many a tattoo #notaboutthatlife). That resonates with me deeply because who I am now is nowhere near the person I was when I first started out in the biz, aka college. Yeah, I may not the be most successful group act of all time, released smash hit records annually, or command an army of devoted followers but I'm a guy in transition on a path to figure himself out, much like they have and still are. They're ready to run. I'm ready to run. We're ready to run.
The question for both them and myself is what lies ahead. In all honesty, I don't really know. I'm working on that. All I know is next year I will no longer be at UVM (that's weird to both write and speak out loud). I don't even know if I'll still be keeping up with this blog. What I do know is I will be pursuing my dreams (as soon as I can decipher exactly what that means). People keep telling me that I have a voice for radio, that I'll make a great journalist, that I will end up running for people office, or that somehow I will be famous. It's all weird to have people say. What do I want? What are my goals and aspirations? Am I ready to run? Is that for political office, for my heart's desires, or for something that will come my way in the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted (literally).
It's about that time. Let me catch you up quickly on the details of my ever-so-important college life. Where were we? Last time on the Chronicles of Joey ... JK, let get to the point. I'll give you the Cliff Notes version (Did anyone ever actually use that site or was it a book series? It was always Sparknotes for me). Friday - cram studying, exam slaying, downtown descent, haircut and random conversations with facebook friends in real life (keeping people frosty #AdvancedWarfare - get me it now), Panera drive by, training meeting, and hang out time. I spent my night laying around, making fun of one another, and talking about the struggle for bae with Kyle, Willy, and David. We pounded some wings, played some intense games of Catchphrase and Egyptian Ratscrew before I ventured downtown with my castmate from my TV show, Liam, for a kickback. It was a get together for my TV studio peoples and it was actually a darn good time. I spent most of my time making conversation with Abby (get her a talk show or into political office soon, the woman is too damn witty) but made the rounds. We caught the bus up where drunken debauchery abounded for the reckless (that is, those without reck) co-eds who were a mess all over that ride. Saturday - apartment cleaning, TV show binging, and homework. Sunday was new member orientation for those who had just joined the fraternity/sorority life community. I helped facilitate a group and a session. Let's just say it was an interesting experience, take that however you would like. I finished my night with a fraternity meeting, and the biggest laundry struggle of all time (broken dryer and an air dry attempt). I was ready to run on home with that one.
I really need to write these more often but I've been so damn busy with school and extracurriculars (writing this post at 1AM instead of sleeping #rational). Anyway, Monday was a long day of meetings. I'm serving on the dining contract committee and we had open forums our potential vendors, with private interviews. What a day for real. 10 hours of flash, flair, and food (Pinterest designs for days). From there I had a 1in4 presentation with about half the fraternity men on my campus. I think I was most nervous for that one but found courage in my group members and my brothers who came to support me. Which brings me up to Tuesday which had me registering for my final semester at classes at the ass crack of dawn (praise be!), before speeding off to do an oral report on my senior research paper. I tabled for the TV studio and gave out my homemade cupcakes (as in made from a box, your boy is not a baker just a cook) before classes. I struggled to stay awake and had a new professor for my journalism class as my other had fallen ill (thinking about her daily and wishing/praying for a speedy recovery). I sprung for some Chinese from the food truck before attending a religion club meeting where I learned some background info about my professor which tied it all together. I did a TV station meeting and proceeded to head to my fraternal little brother, David's concert. The dude is seriously musically talented. Another record day, but I'm ready to run again tomorrow.
One Direction "Four" Album Review: Overall, I give the album 4.5/5 stars. It's most definitely their best effort to date. It has memorable tracks, tells a decisive story, and has found the group maturing in their sound and range. Their new style came with their previous album but now it was been honed to be less of a gimmick and more of a reflection of who they are. Must have songs on the album include the standout deluxe track "Change Your Ticket" reminiscent of the 1975, "Ready to Run" complete with guitar riffs and vivid imagery, and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" a surefire hit-single to be. Notable mentions include "Steal My Girl," "No Control," and "Stockholm Syndrome." The whole album is worth listening to and no song disappoints. Give them a chance and your perception may be changed. Four is One Direction's definitive statement that they're ready to run and here to stay.
My blog post question for the day is ... what are you ready to run for? My future, plain and simple.
You know in writing these posts it's interesting for me to reflect a little bit on how even the composition of these pieces has changed drastically and the ways in which it continues to do so. Recently, I've been triggered by memories or connections to things, expounding upon them, and then forging ahead in relating them to the current endeavors of my life. Even this post sent many a thought blazing through my mind. I'll just say that it's funny that now that my senior year of college has come around that I'm looking back to look ahead. And here it comes full circle to tie it all together, I'm ready to run.
My college experience has been marked every November since my embarking on this four year journey at my institution of higher education with a quirky, kind of weird, quasi-embarrassing marking point - One Direction album releases. Many a blog post title, allegorical reference, or fanboy gif has been used in my blog posts. Every year during this time, my blog blows up with an inundation of boyband overload. I always say that I'm over it, and that I'm too old to enjoy their music, lifestyle, or brand but the truth is that I've grown up with One Direction. Their my age and ever since I special ordered their first album "Up All Night" (the Yearbook Edition; deluxe or go home people) from the UK for $30 (making it my first ever physical CD purchase) I'd felt connected to them. Maybe it their ambiguity in trying have creative reign over themselves, much like myself in my time in college, or their preppy turned punk-hipster style (again, I've been channeling my inner Niall Horan for the past three years), whatever it is - they've been a constant staple in my ever-changing life. Every song they've released I've snatched it up like it was my day job (but yeah Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Billboard or like anyone give me a job to do so and you won't be disappointed). From their X-Factor beginnings to running the world so to say with their fourth studio album entitled "Four" - "the boys" as their fans call them (the idea of fans does not sit well with me but that's besides the point) are ready to run (the world, for Parliament, for normal lives ... who knows).
It's cheesy and cliché to say I've found meaning in their music but past the crooning lyrics, boy-next door charm, and infectious beats, I think the concept of their path to adulthood has intrigued me most. They have grown up. Their music has evolved from pure pop to their latest entry being more of a folk/80's soft rock limited play. Their style, the way they carry themselves, and ultimately who they are has changed as well (including the additions to many a tattoo #notaboutthatlife). That resonates with me deeply because who I am now is nowhere near the person I was when I first started out in the biz, aka college. Yeah, I may not the be most successful group act of all time, released smash hit records annually, or command an army of devoted followers but I'm a guy in transition on a path to figure himself out, much like they have and still are. They're ready to run. I'm ready to run. We're ready to run.
The question for both them and myself is what lies ahead. In all honesty, I don't really know. I'm working on that. All I know is next year I will no longer be at UVM (that's weird to both write and speak out loud). I don't even know if I'll still be keeping up with this blog. What I do know is I will be pursuing my dreams (as soon as I can decipher exactly what that means). People keep telling me that I have a voice for radio, that I'll make a great journalist, that I will end up running for people office, or that somehow I will be famous. It's all weird to have people say. What do I want? What are my goals and aspirations? Am I ready to run? Is that for political office, for my heart's desires, or for something that will come my way in the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted (literally).
It's about that time. Let me catch you up quickly on the details of my ever-so-important college life. Where were we? Last time on the Chronicles of Joey ... JK, let get to the point. I'll give you the Cliff Notes version (Did anyone ever actually use that site or was it a book series? It was always Sparknotes for me). Friday - cram studying, exam slaying, downtown descent, haircut and random conversations with facebook friends in real life (keeping people frosty #AdvancedWarfare - get me it now), Panera drive by, training meeting, and hang out time. I spent my night laying around, making fun of one another, and talking about the struggle for bae with Kyle, Willy, and David. We pounded some wings, played some intense games of Catchphrase and Egyptian Ratscrew before I ventured downtown with my castmate from my TV show, Liam, for a kickback. It was a get together for my TV studio peoples and it was actually a darn good time. I spent most of my time making conversation with Abby (get her a talk show or into political office soon, the woman is too damn witty) but made the rounds. We caught the bus up where drunken debauchery abounded for the reckless (that is, those without reck) co-eds who were a mess all over that ride. Saturday - apartment cleaning, TV show binging, and homework. Sunday was new member orientation for those who had just joined the fraternity/sorority life community. I helped facilitate a group and a session. Let's just say it was an interesting experience, take that however you would like. I finished my night with a fraternity meeting, and the biggest laundry struggle of all time (broken dryer and an air dry attempt). I was ready to run on home with that one.
I really need to write these more often but I've been so damn busy with school and extracurriculars (writing this post at 1AM instead of sleeping #rational). Anyway, Monday was a long day of meetings. I'm serving on the dining contract committee and we had open forums our potential vendors, with private interviews. What a day for real. 10 hours of flash, flair, and food (Pinterest designs for days). From there I had a 1in4 presentation with about half the fraternity men on my campus. I think I was most nervous for that one but found courage in my group members and my brothers who came to support me. Which brings me up to Tuesday which had me registering for my final semester at classes at the ass crack of dawn (praise be!), before speeding off to do an oral report on my senior research paper. I tabled for the TV studio and gave out my homemade cupcakes (as in made from a box, your boy is not a baker just a cook) before classes. I struggled to stay awake and had a new professor for my journalism class as my other had fallen ill (thinking about her daily and wishing/praying for a speedy recovery). I sprung for some Chinese from the food truck before attending a religion club meeting where I learned some background info about my professor which tied it all together. I did a TV station meeting and proceeded to head to my fraternal little brother, David's concert. The dude is seriously musically talented. Another record day, but I'm ready to run again tomorrow.
One Direction "Four" Album Review: Overall, I give the album 4.5/5 stars. It's most definitely their best effort to date. It has memorable tracks, tells a decisive story, and has found the group maturing in their sound and range. Their new style came with their previous album but now it was been honed to be less of a gimmick and more of a reflection of who they are. Must have songs on the album include the standout deluxe track "Change Your Ticket" reminiscent of the 1975, "Ready to Run" complete with guitar riffs and vivid imagery, and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" a surefire hit-single to be. Notable mentions include "Steal My Girl," "No Control," and "Stockholm Syndrome." The whole album is worth listening to and no song disappoints. Give them a chance and your perception may be changed. Four is One Direction's definitive statement that they're ready to run and here to stay.
My blog post question for the day is ... what are you ready to run for? My future, plain and simple.
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