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...

Home

I find myself thinking about home.  Where is home? What makes a home?  Defining home.  I have decided the old cliche is true.  Home is indeed where your heart is.

 

Last night we went to a tiny UCC church for a concert for the annual Lakeland College Choir tour, which now includes the band.   And it was like being home again.  Seeing all of the kids (and WOW do they look young...maybe I am just old) running around before the concert.  A couple playing on the piano before the concert.  We have all been there.  Four years of choir tours.  Blizzards, bad lasagna, making the Mitchell Park Domes come alive with sound with an impromptu concert, crossing the border before passports were needed, building lifelong friendships, staying up so late watching the sunrise just to sing early in the morning and of course - choir tour romances.

 

Ahhh, I had one of those.  A choir tour romance.  It seems there was one every year.

Mine was with a quiet guy.  Butterfly city - I never got butterflies.  I had tried to start something with him earlier in the fall, but he had his eyes set on another girl.  One we'll call "FishHead" (story for another day). So he blew me off.  Then on this choir tour, it seemed like every time we got on the bus, the only seat open for me was next to him.  Now, I was not looking for romance.  I had just started seeing a guy back on campus.  By seeing, I mean watching hockey in his room.  It was a young relationship, if you could call it that after a week or so.  On tour, I just kept getting "stuck" with this Mr. Nice Guy.  

We started hanging out.  Everyone started to notice.  My own friends warned me that this guy was nice, too nice for me.  I wasn't ready to settle down, they all told me.  I believe there was a "wild mustang" metaphor thrown in there.  So, I tried to cool things off with Mr. Nice Guy, but somehow we kept getting put together.

Ahh, the memories.  I'll have to dig out the pictures and scan them.  It was long before digital cameras.

Anyway, last night the conductor - a woman who has influenced my life in more ways that she will ever know - dedicated one of my favorite pieces to us, my hubby and me.  It was Biebel's Ave Maria.  Probably my favorite piece of my college career, maybe top 5 ever.  This piece was even more near and dear to my heart, under the baton of this same conductor.  Against better judgement, she lead a men's choir of our most amazing friends performing this very piece  at my wedding.  (I'll have to get it converted to DVD so I can share it!) When she made the dedication to us and shared with the audience that it was from our wedding, it brought tears to my eyes.  I never cry in public.  It was a bit different coming from a mixed choir and of course our guys rocked it even more amazingly.  We were the best, of course!  :D  But, it moved me more than I expected.  

Please take a moment to listen, it is an amazing piece.

I think it was everything last night -  nostalgia, homesickness where we are now and knowing that what we were witnessing was a reminder of where my family got its start.  This choir tour reminded me of our most simplest of beginnings - a choir tour romance that would be over as soon as we got back to campus.  However, what no one saw coming is that I might actually marry Mr. Nice Guy, but I did.  My firefighter and I got our start just like these kids.  Singing in small churches for our supper. 

If you are around, here are two more performances -

• April 13 - First Congregational United Church of Christ, 724 E. South River St., Appleton, 7 p.m.
• April 14 - Union Congregational UCC, 716 S. Madison St., Green Bay, 3 p.m.

There is also a Homecoming concert on Campus at 3 pm. You will not be disappointed.

To the Muskies reading this, we are heading to the Sesquicentennial reunion this summer, let me know if you are.  After the concert last night, I can hardly wait!