"The Time the Bus Died" and Other Stories from the Golden Wave Band

I'm just going to go ahead and tell you guys something. One of my all time favorite parts about going to Baylor is getting to be a part of the Baylor University Golden Wave Band, affectionately known as BUGWB (pronounced bug-WUHB).

I honestly don't know how my friends put up with me. What I do with the color guard tends to come up in many conversations and most of my wacky college stories involve events that occur when I'm with the band, or not even with the band itself, but band people. 

We're all pretty weird. In the best of ways, of course.

The Terrific Twenty of Texas 

I'm not going to say much more in introduction, because most of this post will be stories. So I thought that, as a storyteller-to-be, I could share some of my favorite off-beat tales with you. 

And I've neatly made headings for each. 

Old Sport

This one actually happened last year. So, a little back story. On the way to away games, the band watches movies on the TVs inside our charter buses. For this game, the color guard/trumpet bus ("the Grumpet bus") watched "The Great Gatsby." I'm not sure if you're familiar with "The Great Gatsby," book or movie, but in the movie, Gatsby often uses the phrase "old sport." 

Now, there was a flag move I was having  trouble with at the time. I was often confused about the sequence and tended to put my flag up when the rest of the guard put theirs down.

As we were marching through the show, there on the field in front of thousands, right as the guard performed that part in of the routine, my guard captain turned to me, looked me right in the eyes, and said, "Put your flag down, old sport." 

I almost lost it. But it worked. My flag went down in the right place. 

The Time the Bus Died

Fun fact: I sleep deeply. In fact, it's fairly hard to wake me up sometimes. However, when the mellophone next to you is shaking you vigorously sometime during the night and saying, "Maggie. We have to go. The bus broke down and won't start. We have to move buses," that usually does the trick. 

I was really groggy as I lurched off the bus. All seven band buses were pulled over on the side of the road. I staggered after my seatmate as we journeyed one bus back. The interior was brightly lit as my seatmate gestured to a couple of empty spots. I collapsed into the window seat and pulled my blanket tightly around me and drifted off to sleep. Until I didn't. At one point I woke up and couldn't sleep, so I glared at the moon.

I digress. Luckily everyone lived happily ever after. Except the bus. I don't know what happened to it. I guess it's all right, somewhere out there in the wild blue yonder. 

Hump Day

Unlike my high school marching season, which ends in late October, marching season here at Baylor concludes with the bowl game (if the football team makes it that far) in late December or early January. Which means that as the semester is wrapping up, our practice field looks like a lifeless wasteland. And the band feels like a lifeless wasteland. Especially when it's cold. One frigid Wednesday, it was so cold that the color guard, who forgot to layer as much as we should have, all piled under one blanket on the side of the field.

As there was only a small blanket and 20 of us, there were a lot of heads and legs poking out of our little pile. Somehow we got away with the most minimal practice possible as we tried not to get hypothermia.

We tried. 

Catch! 
The thing about this particular event in the lives of the color guard is that I didn't actually see this happen, but got to experience the aftermath of tears of laughter streaking down faces.

There was a girl visiting the color guard for the Bear Band program. This is when high schoolers have the opportunity to join our band for a football game, eat with us, sit with us, and see what we do. After the game, a color guard member asked our visitor whether she wanted her Powerade bottle. The girl nodded. The color guardian then asked if she could throw it.

Evidently, the visitor missed that memo, because as she stepped forward to receive her bottle, the color guardian lobbed it at her, nailing her right in the face.

Oops. She lived, though. But I'm not sure if she's coming to audition with us in the spring. 

Never Again

Another story from last year.

Sometimes I just hate earrings. You have to keep up with them, always remember to wear them at the right time, and make sure they don't break. But when they do...Extra hassle. My earrings decided to be that pair, and not cooperate with me or my ears all season. Because they could.

And because they could, the back of one of the earrings chose the worst moment to break off: on the bus. On the way to an away game. But thanks to the Mary Poppins bag of one of my fellow color guardians, there was a hot glue gun and a safety pin available. Can you see where this is going yet?

The end of the story was the part where she had to brace my head as the bus rattled down the highway and jam the sharp part of the safety pin through the piercing in my ear.

Welcome to color guard. At least I got my tetanus shot before I came to college.

Behind the scenes of  ESPN's College Game Day. We're just as crazy as you think we are, if not more. 

Mini Tales

So here are a couple of stories that are a couple of sentences each. I still wanted to add them, and even though they aren't long, I gave them their own category. 

A Quick Snooze

The day of our first performance, I fell asleep on the floor of my captain's house. According to the rest of the guard, they watched me sleep for a while. How nice.

Canned
On our way to the stadium one afternoon, I made a passing comment about how I could fit into one of the nearby trash cans. Seconds later, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist, as another color guardian tried to physically lift me into the trash can. I was having none of that, so I kicked my legs until she released me. Probably the closest I've been to actually being canned. 

Hope you enjoyed them! Not to worry, there are plenty more where those came from! With the bowl game coming up in a couple of weeks, I'll have some more stories to tell about my adventures with BUGWB.

Blogger's Note: Just a heads up: I'll be taking this coming Friday off. Because Christmas. And no internet. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! 

Thoughts of Home

Take a bus, take a train, go and hop an aeroplane,
Put the wife an' kiddies in the family car!
For the pleasure that you bring when you make that doorbell ring,
No trip could be too far!


Oh! There's no place like home for the holidays,
'Cause no matter how far away you roam,
If you wanna be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays you can't beat home sweet home!


I love that song so much. 

This time of year fills me with excitement. All my finals are complete, most of my packing is done, and tonight is my last night in the dorm for a while. 

I'm coming home tomorrow. 

But what is home? I've been asked that question so, so many times and I never know what answer to give? 

What home should I tell you about first? I've lived in so many places! My first home in Cleburne, Texas? Or how about my childhood homes in Kitakyushu and Higashi-Kurume? What about my adolescent home in Missouri, where I will be traveling to tomorrow? Maybe even the newest place I've come to call home, the green and gold campus of Baylor University? 

Do I even have a home? 

I don't know. 

But one thing I've learned through my nomadic life, is that home is not just where your rump rests (Lion King quote, anyone?), but it's where you feel welcomed and loved. Everyone around you wants you there with them, because they love you. 

Love is what makes a home a home. 

And I am more than ecstatic to spend my favorite holiday with my favorite people. Christmas is a time of giving and sharing love, through gifts, through time, through laughter and joy. 

I may have a slight "home crisis", but does that matter? Sometimes. 

But what's most important is that I get to love and be loved where I am and where I am going next. 

Time Lapse

Blogger's Note: No, I haven't died! I've just been really busy the past few days. Sorry about that. 

A few days ago, after a year, I finished watching all nine seasons of The Office on Netflix. I don't even know what to feel right now.

As the characters grew in the nine years that take place during the span of the show, I grew with them as I watched, although it was a shorter amount of time. 

Look at how much they've grown:

Me too: 

Let me assure you, I haven't gotten any less weird. 

It's funny how much can change in a year. Friendships, ideas, activities, beliefs, life. It's funny how much life can change in a year. How much you can achieve or lose. New adventures, new places, new memories. 

Thinking over this past year, I realize that I've done so much. There so many hellos: I went on my first cruise,  my first date, I got my first job, I finished my first year of college. But there were also so many good byes: I said farewell to one of my best friends as she entered the mission field for a year and a half in the western United States, I said farewell to my guinea pig Saeli as she died this fall, I've decided to set color guard aside for a year as I study abroad in London next year, I've said farewell to sanity, as this fall has been one of the hardest seasons I've ever lived. 

Life is hard. But I'm grateful for the breath that's been put into my lungs each morning for the past 365 days. The new year is coming in a few short weeks. 

I wonder how much will change in the next year? 

The One Time I Acquired Seven Boyfriends Over The Course of One Weekend

Sorry Mom and Dad. 


First of all, I see no problem with being forever alone.

Second of all...I will admit that the zombie was pretty rad.

But what was I doing so far down south? Well, one of the many perks to going to a rather large Christian university is that we have a four-day Easter break. Most college kids elected to head home and spend Easter with their families, but as I live 10-11 hours away, my sweet friend Emily decided to spirit me away down to San Antonio, her hometown, for the long weekend.

Flower wreaths for the upcoming Fiesta holiday! 

That doesn't explain the abundance of boyfriends. Honestly, I have no idea where that plot began.

It all started with a chance meeting of Emily's friend Jesus (pronounced HAY-soos) at the local movie theater.

And went downhill from there.

I was able to rack up at multiple "boyfriends" a day as Emily and I trekked around the city of San Antonio, visiting her old stomping grounds as well as more touristy areas downtown.

Besides the sudden influx of men in my life, I was thrilled to be able to re-experience San Antonio. I was a young elementary schooler the last time I visited, and there was so much I had forgotten about the beautiful city.

One highlight was the River Walk. As overcrowded as it is, it was one of the only places I really remembered, and I cried out with joy as I descended the stairs leading from the street above to the river.

It was still as beautiful as I remembered it.

Emily and I sightseeing from a bridge. 

Homemade root beer from Schilo's, a restaurant close by the River Walk!

Not to mention the Alamo. 

I also got to try my first real breakfast taco while I was there!

But on to the the real mystery! Who were these boyfriends? Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, here is the ultimate list...of my San Antonio man posse.

1. Jesus

It all began with a prank...

2. Cardboard Spidey

Emily's hashtag: "#spideycouple"

3. Decorative cowboy

This guy probably has to put up with so much.

4. Zombie

Classier than the Walking Dead. This one does impressions too. 

5. Ryan 

Ryan was such a good sport. He even gave me his CD!

6. Jailbird Joe

I don't associate with this one much.

7. Buc-ee

He just looks so...happy...

What's wrong with you, Maggie? That last one isn't even human! I know, I know. Quite the menagerie, they are. But going home with a college friend proved to be quite the adventure!

Especially when it came to my non-existent romantic life.


[Shout out to the Emily and family for being such gracious hosts and letting me crash in their house for the weekend!]

Every Man's Mouse

Disney, yes. Mickey, no.

A couple of weeks ago, I was re-watching a couple of movies from my childhood, "The Rescuers", followed by its sequel, "The Rescuers Down Under".

But what are the Rescuers? They're mice. Yep. The Rescue Aid Society is a council of mice that meet within the United Nations building to answer the call to help anyone who needs it. Especially when it comes to rescuing adorable kiddos from psycho adults.

Penny and Medusa from "The Rescuers"
You can totally tell that Medusa's a villain because she's holding a teddy bear hostage. 

Cody and McLeach from "The Rescuers Down Under"

Australia is all fun and games until you get captured by a poacher who wants to kill all of your animal friends. 

The protagonists for both movies are Bernard and his partner Miss Bianca, the Rescue Aid Society's representative from Hungary, voiced by Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor, respectively.

Bernard

Miss Bianca

While the intrepid Miss Bianca could probably have a short post of her own, this post is primarily about Bernard. 

Let me introduce you to this glorious mouse:

Bernard came from humble beginnings. He wasn't always an agent and the representative of the good ol' U.S. of A. In fact, he was the janitor for the Rescue Aid Society, doing his duties without complaint. That is, until Miss Bianca personally asks him to be her escort on her very first mission. 

Bernard is a gentleman. He was the one that suggested Miss Bianca have an escort in the first place. He holds her umbrella, carries her luggage, and above all, saves her life. Multiple times. He never complains. Not even once. 

Bernard believes he's average. A nobody. He's actually quite the opposite. Bernard is ready to step up and rescue those kids in peril, endangering his own life in the process. He sacrifices himself time after time for the benefit of others. When Miss Bianca is accidentally captured. Bernard tames a vicious wild pig and rides it throughout the night to find her.  

Bernard on his way to steal yo girl. 

Unless someone steals his own first! 

Watching these movies again made me realize that I absolutely love Bernard. And here's why. Because he's just like all of us. 

Bernard has no superpowers. He doesn't have money, or power, or fame. He never went to college. He's not a prodigy. He's just your everyday boy next door, with his own hopes, dreams, and fears. But he's willing to set those fears aside for those he loves and for those he's never met. Bernard strives to better himself every day, even though life gets in the way sometimes. He does the best he can with what he's been given. 

And, with the help of a cast of cute characters, always manages to stop the bad guy in the end. 

I think there's a little bit of this mouse in all of us. No, we aren't mice. But we do have potential. And we have been gifted with various gifts and talents. While we may not get caught up in death-defying action, we still are extraordinary, each in his or her own way. 

We've been created for different purposes, and like Bernard, we're often hesitant to embrace them. But once we do, who knows what kind of adventures we'll be swept into. 

Passionate

I was sitting on a couch in my discipleship group today. We were telling stories, chatting, and diving deep into the Word.

The question. What are you passionate about, Maggie? I rattled off my usual answers: color guard, travel, acting, photography...

When it hit me like cold water to the face.

Storytelling.

It felt right, somehow. Reading stories, writing my own. How much I enjoy listening to others tell about themselves. How I love getting into character and costume. How I like to travel to new places and capture the stories and memories I find there. How I listen. How each story I share reminds me of yet another.

It fit somehow, in the grand scheme of things.

I'm one step closer to discovering my purpose. And maybe this is it. Maybe this is the thing I was built and born for.

But to effectively share other stories, someday I will have to share my own. Every agonizing detail. Every night spent in tears. Every laugh, every smile. Every adventure.

Everything lost. Everything gained.

Friends, sharing who I truly am scares me the most.

The Baylor Spirit (Reflections From a Year Later)

That Good Old Baylor Line,
That Good Old Baylor Line. 

We'll march forever down the years
As long as stars shall shine  

        (Woosh!*)

We'll fling our green and gold afar
To light the ways of time.

And guide us as we onward go.
That Good Old Baylor Line


Homecoming week is huge here at Baylor University.

The entire campus is draped in green and gold during this jam-packed week as the university opens its arms to Bears old, current, and future.

Thursday night's tradition is something called Freshman Mass Meeting. And I just so happen to be watching it unfold right now as I blog from the second story of Moody library, gearing up to write my 8 page paper due the next morning.

I can't see them too closely from here, but the Class of 2018 is wearing their Line Jerseys, leaving Waco Hall's auditorium and walking down a path lined with candle-filled paper bags, the path that I walked to get to the library, except the candles will be lit, casting an ethereal glow for the short walk. Their own candles clutched solemnly in hand, they trek past the statue of The Immortal Ten, who are heroes here at Baylor.

I'm watching the small pinpricks of light flood into the field of Fountain Mall, arranging themselves in front of the stage that was set up there this afternoon where they will begin stacking wooden crates for the bonfire to happen tomorrow night. The green lights atop Pat Neff's tower wash the area in a familiar gleam.

Because Baylor is home. Not only is it a new home to these freshmen, it's a home to all who live here, work here, and ultimately some return here.

Tonight, more Baylor Bears join our legacy. Tonight they learn what it really means to be of Baylor. They are passed the torch to fling their own green and gold afar. They've been here for a couple of months now, but tonight is almost like an initiation of sorts.

I see more candles flooding the field. Each candle is held by a person with a different story. They all have different backgrounds, different lives, different interests, different wants, dreams, hopes, and futures, but they've all come together tonight in the spirit of Baylor to join their stories together under the banner of green and gold and the legacy of the Bears that have come before them.

Dang. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. I'm a little jealous, really. But I'm glad I'm getting to watch them experience what I did last year. They're in for a wild ride here, but if they hang on tight, it'll be the best, most breathtaking ride they've ever ridden.

Me (far left) only a year ago.

I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to come to Baylor University. And frankly, I don't see myself anywhere else than with my beloved fellow Bears.


None of the pictures are my own. Credits go to where they're due.

*The addition of the word "Woosh" is something that the Golden Wave Marching Band (or "BUGWB") does. It's one of our many traditions.