I just finished reminicing over my old choir days in high school. I remember that my junior year was quite difficult as well as memorable. I was listening to the 1999 ERHS Spring Concert and I lost myself completely into the past. With each song, I ran the gamut of emotions. With songs like, Turn the World Around, Dire't on, Miserere Mei, & All My Trials, it was easy to attach cetain feelings and sparked different thoughts of my supposed cloudy past. I laughed a little bit, and yes...dare I say it; I teared a little bit. I also remembered how easy life was back then. I was so naive too. If I had been told who I was going to be today, I wouldn't have believed it. I miss the carefree days of high school...as difficult as they were for me; struggling with myself inside. I miss how I didn't have to worry about money or having to budget my time so much. I mean, I was more active in high school, but I guess I had to burn out eventually and come crashing down. In any case, it was nice to have the music and memories carry me away.

Life was so easy...unlike nowadays. I've made my mistakes, said my part, and overstayed a few welcomes before. It's life. It comes with the territory I guess.

As I sang along with the old tape (YES. audio tape), I would close my eyes and still see myself on that old stage. I remembered my teacher's words before every big performance. "If you pass this threshold of the stage, you are NO longer ERHS students. You are better than that. You are performers first. Act accordingly." I miss the old me, but I'm more than content with who I am now. My past molded me, my thoughts, my emotions, my love for life and God.

There was one song that I could never get out of my head, All My Trials. It was an African spiritual that certainly meant a lot to the choir that year. After all, we won the command performance competition and worked so hard that year since it was Mr. Bockleman's last performance with us.

Yeah, I guess I was thinking a lot tonight. I didn't go anywhere. It kind of made me sad, but I just made myself useful.

All my trials Lord soon be over.

...now hush little baby don't you cry,
you know that man was born to die.

Heh...mortality. Yet another reality to swallow. One day my trials will be over. When that day comes, I'll know that I have lived a full and happy life.