Wednesday, March 4, 2009

College is over?

Last night, while sitting with some friends in Java Haus playing Catan, a song came on that brought me back.  It brought me all the way back to the days when I was 17.  It was Relient K singing "College Kids".  The lyrics are:

someone please save us, us college kids!
what my parents told me is what i did
they said go to school and be a college kid
but in the end i question why i did
i'm poor, i'm starving, i'm flat broke, i've got no cash to spend
sell all my books for front row tickets to dave matthews band
my girlfriend's
 at another school, i know this year will test her
i called, found out she had three other boyfriends last semester

and that's why i say
oh no! not for me, not for me
call it torture, call it university
no! arts and crafts is all i need
i'll take calligraphy and then i'll make a fake degree

80 grand later i found out that all that i had learned
is that you should show up to take your finals and your midtermsthe party scene is kinda mean, i think it's sick and twisted
the navy showed up at my dorm and claimed that i enlisted

don't get excited. she'll say "no" without a doubt you see
and i've decided college girls just won't go out with me
they make me nervous and they always catch me off my guard
like cell phone services i drop out cause college is too hard
it's time to call my father
cause it's his alma mater
good grades aren't what they seem
i think he knows the dean
it's time to call my father
cause it's his alma mater
he says he's proud of me
but college always was his dreamand i would always say it's not for me

do what will make you happy
do what you feel is right
only but one thing matters
learn how to live your life

Well, as I listened to this song while stratigically placing my city, I thought of when I used to hear these silly lyrics and think "I can't wait until I go to college.  I will be able to listen to this song and totally get it."  And here I am, five years later, thinking "I totally get this song, but in nine weeks, I will not be able to listen to it and think I am actively taking a part in it."  So my appropriate reaction was one of freaking out.  Hence, my blog post.

Holy stink, where did the time go?!  Wasn't I just 17, driving to work at a concession stand, dreaming of one day going to college?  Now, I am 22, walking to my secretarial job, thinking about wedding plans and graduating from college I was so eager to get to!  Where will I be when I'm 27?  Communting to work remembering back when all I had were class and wedding plans, not budgets and kids?  Can I just regress back to 17 again and savor it this time?  (Granted, I do still see myself as 17 most of the time.)
When did I go from this hopeful teenager to a grown up, looking for a job and going to pre-marital counseling?  It weirds me out to the nth degree, but it's not like I would change anything if I did it all over again.  

5 comments:

Oma Penny said...

Oh baby girl, I still think you are 17 too!

Mrs. Westphall said...

Yes, Mom does think you are 17.

It's fine to freak a little, but if you ever use John Mayer's phrase "quarter-life crisis" I am going to come to Chicago personally and slap you. Got it?

And to anyone who doesn't know you, "in Java Haus playing Catan" sounds like gibberish :) I'm glad I'm in on your code.

Oma Penny said...

Wasn't it Frank Sinatra who sang "when I was seventeen, it was a very good year."?

Will said...

Hey Erin, at least you don't have fish pants in your chronological timeline. Guess who did? This guy. Looking back...they were pretty amazing and I wouldn't change that. Hey remember when you almost fell down that hill when we were walking to Jefferson? That freaked me out! You're too cool Erin.

Corrie said...

When I was 17--I drank some very good beer--I drank some very good beer that I bought with a fake ID--My name was Brian McGee--when I was 17.

Anyone? Anyone?