The Wedding Band of Men and Women

The last four days have been some of the most fulfilling of my life and some of the most hard-working, non-stop days of my life. My best friend Brett just got married and the wedding and reception could not have been more beautiful or fun. The setting for the reception was a perfect, but slightly hot summer night on Hannah's homestead and the tent and decorations provided a perfect background. While it took tons of sweat, work and a little blood it was all worth it. Looking back at it I wouldn't change a thing. All of the problems we had, especially the tent ripping and needing to be replaced, made everything that much more memorable. Brett said it best when he said "No one will no how hard we worked to make this place look good." He's right but I think that is endearing to us. We will cherish the moments there more because of what we had to do. We appreciate the scenery a little more than everyone else. It will be one of those weekends where you don't remember everything right now but in a few weeks funny quotes, funny actions and fun times will slowly creep back into your thoughts and you'll randomly laugh or smile at those memories.

Friday night with all of the guys, and Sara, will go down as one of the best nights of my life. Starting at the Saloon and ending in the lodge living room and walking all the dirt roads in between, I will never forget singing in the middle of the country while it was storming all around us. We had talks that entrenched friendships and built more bonds that won't be broken. I met a few new friends and got to enjoy all my old ones as well. I will never forget that walk and those conversations.

Favorite Quote of the weekend: "I have to keep tying me lei shorter because when I go pee I keep tearing it.......(as I give a weird look) I guess I am an emotional pee-er." -Jana

Favorite Tweet of the weekend: @ianlane52: We had quite the celebration for @Brett_Weller tonight. Burned up the dance floor all night. My work here is done.

Favorite picture that I have (the only picture I have at the moment): Brock and Joe. The picture of Brett and Hannah kissing under the fireworks will always be my favorite one of the whole weekend.

Song of the weekend: Wagon Wheel or The Scientist

I tried to say Thank You as often as I could to the people who helped make this wedding possible. To Anna, Jana, Brock, Dane, Joe, Craig, Branden, Jake, Sara, and Anne Marie, THANK YOU again.

No Bueno

Hint: Never watch the movie "Taken" while you have a female friend in Europe. It will only make things worse. Trust me.

Vox

I love to sing. Most people know this for a fact. Music is one of my passions and there is nothing better than singing along to a song that means a lot to you. I have recently been allowed to sing more and more with when my "band" has shows to play. July 4th we are playing at the fair grounds again and for the first time ever my vocals will play an integral part of two songs. I mean in a huge way. I'm nervous as crap. It's never a big deal when I'm singing in the car with friends or when I'm just being an idiot on a road trip. However, it's entirely different when singing in front of people and having to sing loud. It takes a lot of focus and I never really understood that. Playing along to a song and singing is also a big thing. Hitting my vocal notes and bass notes takes practice and lots of it. I'm hoping our show goes well, which it should. But I am really enjoying being told that I can sing well enough to do it in front of others. For years I was told by certain people that I shouldn't sing in the car because I sucked at it so when people tell me, "Hey, good job. I enjoyed that harmony," I get a wonderful feeling of joy. Thank you if you have complimented me recently. It means a lot.

The Chosen One

The part of Best Man in a wedding is one that I am taking very seriously because it is such an honor for me to have been chosen by Brett. I hope that I am doing everything the way that it should be done and that I have made life a little easier for him throughout this process. I am attempting to make it as fun as it can be. Craig and I are full of ideas, some great, some not. Some days I think I'm just annoying because of all the ideas I pose to Brett and Hannah. He's probably regretted his decision a few times. I have just finished writing the first draft of my speech and I think it's funny and serious at the same time. I do hope that everyone finds it entertaining. I guess I don't really have anything else. Goodnight.

Happily Ever After....

It is wedding season yet again which is great because that means my best friend Brett and his fiance are to be wed in a few short weeks. However, that also means that another wedding happened. My ex-girlfriend got married yesterday to a man she has been engaged with for some time now and I'm feeling weird about it. I can honestly say I am happy for her and I wish her nothing but the best. However, it's weird to hear or think about her getting married because I was sure at one point in my life that I would be the one to marry her. It was plain as day that our relationship needed to end and it was in the best interest for both of us but I never thought this day would come so soon. One day I will get married to a woman that I love and I hope Becca wishes nothing but the best for me (which I am sure she does) but I wonder if she will feel the same way? It's a hard feeling to describe but one that stands out nonetheless.

I'll Take A Holiday Far Away

Do you have those songs in your life that, when they appear on your iPod, you remember the first time you heard them? I have plenty of those and I love it when they pop up here and there. It really does take me back. This weekend I traveled to Oberlin, KS to see my cousin Andy and his family since they were back home from Colorado to play a show. I really don't get enough of them. Andy and I have great, in-depth talks that I enjoy. Anyway, on the way home, at about 1 in the morning, the song "Tickets and Passports" by Holiday Parade came on over the radio and it had probably been 8 months since I have heard that song. This song is one of those that I can remember the first time I ever heard it.

I was on the road in between Wichita and Emporia at about 3 or 4 in the morning, driving by myself. It was right before Christmas time and the sky was crisp and bright, like it can only be during the winter months. I still had my Sebring at the time. I had just seen Abandon Kansas that night in Wichita and it didn't turn out well at all. My ex-girlfriend had just got engaged that night. See all the details I remember? I will post the lyrics to the song now and continue the post after that.

I'll take a holiday far away
To where the bright lights burn a little less every day
I'm going to find a place that's just for me
It may take forever
I know, Forever'd be ok

I'm counting down the headlights thinking
That I believe the world is sinking
And everybody longs for something
I'd give it all again to feel it

I met a pretty girl from the coast of Spain
And as she'd count the stars she knew them all by name
She had the saddest eyes I've ever seen
But when she smiled
I'd know, Exactly what she means

Chorus

It's how the sunlight burns my eyes
Every morning when I rise
It's how I'm pulled to the horizon
Like a love that just won't die
And when the sun becomes the moon
It breaks the world I fell into
It's how it all comes back to you
And I know, I'm not going to change

Chorus

I'll run until the end of the time
The second hand slowly unwinds
There's time to rest after I die
And until then these days are like
Our last goodbye to what we know
We'll pack out bags and hit the road
These tickets and passports lead me home
As we sing all night

I think the reference to the headlights was what first got my attention to the song. The lyrics about longing for something and giving it all to feel lit again really hit home since my ex had just gotten engaged as well. I was happy for her but once I was all alone I felt like I was then missing something. That night was also the first time I had spent time alone with a girl that I am very good friends with now but at the time we had only known each other about a month. After leaving her house I just had this feeling that she was someone I could see myself with, that she could fill that feeling I had been searching for. Of course that didn't happen but this was the first girl who I really felt like I had a connection with. She was and is someone I compare others to to see if they would stack up against her. As the saying goes, a guy and a girl are only friends because one of them had feelings for the other at the beginning.

The ending of this song made me want to just keep driving. At this time in my life I was working still and just doing everything on a whim, like going to see Abandon Kansas. It was a great freedom that I miss sometimes because school gets in the way these days but something that I'm glad I had a chance to enjoy. This song took me back to that night, to those days of late night driving. It feels now like I was running from something, but what? Who knows but after listening to this song on repeat for about an hour I moved on to the next random song. I couldn't tell you what it was or any other song from that 4 hour drive but this one I won't forget. It makes me appreciate my relationships with friends and makes me wonder what might have been?

Timshel, Part Two

I wrote a previous entry about the song "Timshel" by Mumford and Sons awhile ago and it was a post that I loved writing. The song is just one that moves me and it is filled with amazing harmonies. It is simple, perfectly simple. Marcus Mumford wrote the song after being inspired by the book East of Eden by Steinbeck. To me, the song boils down to these words, and they are inspiring ones:

And you have your choices
And these are what make man great
His ladder to the stars

But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand

You can take this for what it's worth because I have read hundreds of responses to what this song means to people and, while everyone has different views, I love that it inspires people all the same. This song reminds me that we all have choices to make in this lifetime that will define us, that will lead us down a certain path. Not all of my choices have been the smart ones and looking back I wish I had chosen the path most followed. All I can do is make the choices that will make me great, not anyone else. But, no matter the choice I make, the path that I follow, I will always have someone there for me. I will always have a friend, a parent, a family member who will be there to help me along the way. All I can do is hope to be great.