Riders on the Storm

I think the best part about a party is right before the party. The anticipation. Freshman year anticipation may have been the best. Friday night, eating dinner at the dining hall with your friends. Someone in your roommate's class heard there was a party tonight. Everyone is going, even though the situation is sketchy. You gave your roommate thirty dollars so a guy you never met before can get you booze. He buys you 15 dollars worth and keeps the change, but you could care less.

You go to the party. You desperately clutch to your roommate, or anyone else who manages to have a conversation with you. Trying to look cool and casual. The twelve pack that the guy bought does the trick. By the end of the night, your the king of the party; wooing all the women and chatting with everyone. Days later you pass a person who was at the party, who that night you were swearing was your best friend and, "we should hang out sometime". When you pass, you give each other an awkward nod; restricting your chat until the next party meeting. The night rarely went perfect, but it was good.

But then years of crappy parties with awkward conversations and scummy dancing killed the anticipation. The only parties you go to now are the ones where you know everyone -if you go out at all. Parties are mostly a bummer anyway.

I was lucky enough to feel that anticipation again. I hadn't been out in a while. My buddy Joe goes to St. John's college in Santa Fe and he invited me to hang out with him. I was nervous because I didn't know anyone; and I once again felt that excited anticipation. The party was good...real good. It's nice to be in a place where you feel like a stranger and every party is like the first major party of your freshman year.

I rode Harleys with my aunt and uncle today. I need to buy a bike, it's a cool ride. I felt like Peter Fonda from "Easy Rider". It was hard to be too cool; I was restricted to the back seat of my uncle's bike, desperately clutching him to avoid falling off. I guess I was like Jack Nicholson.