No Matter Where I Roam, A Place That's Always Home...

Okay, to be honest, it is such a cheesey Alma Mater.  We sang at the end of every concert on Choir Tour, at the end of Choir Tour for the homecoming concert, for Homecoming, for graduation...if there had been YouTube 15-20 years ago, we would have done this exact same mockery.  In fact, I think we did do several horrible versions because it is such a cheesy song.


Can you tell why my heart is set a-swinging
With a vibrant motion each recurring fall?
Do you fathom why my soul begins a-singing,
Like a maiden answering her lover's call?
A place there is that claims my fond affection,
Fondly drawing me as does a mother's heart.
No matter where I roam, a place that's always home,
Of God's great lovely world, a goodly part.


CHORUS
O, Lakeland, My Alma Mater,
Heaven's blessings rest upon thee day by day;
And may the God above, in bounty and in love,
Thy goodness unto me, thy child, repay.



But, parts of it are true.  Not sure about the "...like a maiden answering her lover's call...", but you know.  The pictures of us on the wall show that we were part of something bigger than ourselves.  We are part of this 150 year history.  It was cool to see.

All three of us were there...

Yesterday, we went back for Lakeland's Sesquicentennial celebration.  And to be honest, it was a dud.  As a celebration, anyway.  I really enjoyed the talk with the three past presidents, I really enjoyed walking around, reminiscing with my commrads in crime.  But, instead of feeling like a Homecoming celebration, I felt like I was at a convention or a workshop.  We sang in the reunion choir, which was nice, but the people we were part of the choir with, were not there.  Only three others from our era.  Now, I know things came up, life happens.  But, it was disappointing none-the-less.  

Alto section, probably not good to have me, right next to BSW,
but we were relatively well behaved.

I think this was the Mozart Requiem.
Wow, did I look soooo young!

The walk down memory lane was truly worth it.  Shaking my head at the pictures in the sorority suite - everyone else in floral dresses for crossover, me - black heels, black body suit, black skirt with legs up to there (not sure how I created that illusion) - but for the icing on the cake - with a b/w plaid flannel shirt.  Yup, stylin'!  We were hurrying, otherwise I would have taken a picture of the picture because I just couldn't believe it.

Brat Fry at the Piggly Wiggly

Brat fry?  Never heard of one until college.  But, here's the evidence that I took part in such a lovely tradition of fundraising. 

O Lakeland, My Alma Mater

The college has changed - there are a few more buildings on campus for housing, there is another gym in the fieldhouse and weight room is amazing compared to what we had.  I hope there is wireless by now, compared to the 1 hour class we had to take to get our internet password. But it is still home.  There are still so many faces on campus that know us by name and we are always welcomed home, no matter if it is for a formal visit or because we just wanted to pick up a new sweatshirt.  The new entrance looks amazing. But that pretty picture is not what makes it home - it is the memories.  Watching fireworks on top of Old Main, signing the bell tower with people from 100 years ago, choir tour.  I would go back and do it all over again - and not really change a thing.  I loved college.  And to think, after a couple of weeks, I was calling home crying because I was miserable in the corn fields and the cows were waking me up in the morning...


But, my favorite memory of the day came from my FF on this board...