…so here we are. Just me, my macbook, and 27 years of memories, thoughts, and experiences to write about. I was never really into the whole blogging scene until now.
At the tender age of 18, my mom carted me off to the best dump of a town in southern Illinois, Carbondale. It was my first time away from my parents for longer than a week. I remember it like it was yesterday. We got up early, loaded up the car and hit the road. It didn’t hit me until about 20 minutes after pulling into town that I wasn’t going to have anyone do my laundry anymore, wake me up when I overslept my alarm, cook me five coarse meals nightly and tell me where my track shoes were in the house when I was frantically running out the door 15 minutes late for practice. I had never met my roommate Angie until her parents dumped her off into our small ten foot by ten foot cube of a room that they call a dorm. I wash shaking in my seat and after my parents took me to dinner that night before leaving, I wanted to wrap my large frame around their ankles and scream like a baby…don’t leave me here!
Needless to say, I lived. In fact, it was awesome! I lived in a building with hundreds of other individuals my age and had my own personal chef, well chef to all the other couple hundred kids too. Everywhere I needed to go was with in walking or biking distance and if I overslept my alarm it didn’t matter, I got to sleep in. I also figured out that I could walk into a bar and drink once I licked the Under 21 stamp off my hand and there was no curfew and lots of parties in houses where you didn’t have to worry about parents coming home to bust up the fun. Life was great.
I had a little bit of home with me in Carbondale as well. My older brother was into his third year so he was pretty established. He was also the VP of his fraternity so I never had to pay for a cup to drink beer at the parties and I was treated like royalty. The only downfall of my frat party princess status was that there was lots of pressure on me to join the greek system. I was into adventure and rarely ever followed the rules. I was 18 and just discovering my new found freedom that I wasn’t wild about the idea of conforming to cult like college social life that they all loved. Besides, I would have to give up some of my social antics of booze guzzling and keg stands because let’s face it, I would get busted doing something I shouldn’t be.
I contemplated what to do. I thought about going through rush and making a complete ass out of myself so no one would want me. I went to work out one day and upon entering the Rec Center, there was a group of girls passing out fliers asking for girls to join the women’s rugby team. I politely handed it back and said, “No thanks, I don’t know how to play.” This broad was not taking no for an answer. She politely handed me back the flier and said “No need! We teach you everything you need to know. Come on. You look like an athletic individual. What better way to meet people and get involved?” I took her flier and read through it. I was having a hard time adjusting to all my new found free time. Growing up I was always shuffled off to trainings and practices or had games and matches. I also missed the camaraderie of my teammates. I decided I would go to one practice and see how it went.
Needless to say, I went. I was confused as all get out but it felt good to run around and have friends. It was a definite hodge podge group of gals, and my first time meeting a butch lesbian. I loved it. Not only did I have my team camaraderie again, I had gotten involved with the craziest group of gals on campus. They made my social antics look like child’s play. I was smitten. I traveled with the team and continued going to training and didn’t think twice.
A couple weeks into my new rugby lifestyle, I received a phone call from my brother’s agent, also known as our mother.
Me: Hi Mom!
Mom: Hi dear! How is college life treating you?
Me: Oh great! I joined a new club and have lots of friends. I love my classes, it is great!
Mom: (in descending tone) Yes about that…have you talked to your brother lately?
Me: Not in a week or so. Is he okay?
Mom: Well, he is concerned about you. He says that you have gotten involved with the wrong people. (blah blah blah) Oh and are you a lesbian?
Great, here we go. I really can’t complain. I was more worried about having to convince my mother that I wasn’t going to hurt myself playing a full on contact sport with no pads but instead, I had to convince her that I wasn’t a lesbian…that is easy.
I continued to play rugby and met some of the best friends I could ever ask for. I traveled to cool places and met so many interesting people everywhere we went. Lots of calories were burned and consumed. I was in love. I had never had so much fun before in my life. I cherish all the stories and find pride in reciting them when we are all together. I will never forget the time that I was sitting at a Fazoli’s in Carbondale with two fellow SIU rugby friends that had graduated and were back visiting. We were exchanging memories and reminiscing of all the good times. In the booth behind us, a gentleman stood up and as he was walking out to leave, he stopped at our table. He said “I have been listening to all of your stories and experiences and have been trying not to laugh. I am a professor here at the university and will have to say that some of your stories are some of the best ones that I have heard. You should really write a book.” We laughed it off and went back to our lunch.
That isn’t the first time someone has mentioned we write a memoir. It has been five years since I left that University but the stories continue. The bond I have with my SIU rugby friends is unlike any other. We are all spread out but when we get together it is like we never left each other. All of our families, friends and employers know that the first weekend in May is off limits! You can not miss a Southern Old Loads. It is the one weekend that all men and women of SIU rugby meet in Carbondale. It doesn’t matter if you are 18 or 60 years old. For that weekend you will all dress up in theme, laugh your ass off, drink your liver to unbearable limits and do hundreds of stupid things that you and all your friends will laugh about for years to come. Because of the people, the memories and the lifestyle I have decided to not go as far as to write a book but at least blog it out.
…and here we are.
