Apparently...

..the stars were aligned in my favor tonight as I actually managed to get a close parking spot at Walmart (that I so graciously held for Ryun's grandmother, who happened to be pulling in as I was pulling out), exchanged everything with no problem, and got my copies at Staples.

Hey, anyone know if something happened to Bruce Springsteen? I heard three songs on my half hour ride home tonight. It seems to me, that when something happens to an artist, they play their songs to the point of overkill. Of course, it could just be coincidence. Bruce Springsteen though, brings up quite a few memories from my freshman year in college. Mostly, songs by Bruce remind me of Matty.

I lived on campus (Ash Hall, room 202 just in case you wanted to know). We had an RA, a very hot male RA, named Matty who was a HUGE fan of "The Boss." In April of that year, Bruce released one of his albums and Matty threatened us with our lives if we didn't buy it. So, you know we were all smitten, and didn't want to disappoint. A fairly good bunch of us went out and got it. Yes, I was one of them.

Besides being strikingly handsome, Matty was probably the "coolest" RA ever. He enforced the rules when he had to, but more important than that, he was our friend and confidante. We all adored him. We hung out with him all the time, listening to music, talking and, for some reason that eludes me, eating Cheese Whiz (don't ask...like I said, I don't remember).

Matty was one of those people that you fell in love with (and I don't mean in a romantic kind of way, although I am sure there were a couple of girls that did)on sight. He was fun, entertaining, and someone that you could just feel comfortable with no matter what.

When it came time for us to leave that summer, we exchanged addresses (actual postal addresses...email wasn't quite as big waaaayyy back then) and phone numbers. If I remember correctly, there were a few letters exchanged over that summer between the whole group of us. Matty graduated in May of 94 so when sophomore year rolled around, there was no Matty, and we felt it. We missed him, talked about him all of the time, and remembered what fun we had together. He ended up stopping by the townhouses a few times to visit and we were all ecstatic.

After I left, halfway through my Junior year, we (we being the whole gang of us) sort of lost touch.

Losing touch was tough, but my life was following a different path than theirs, and it just sort of happened. Matty is one of my best college memories though, one I am not too likely to forget. Every once in a while, especially when I hear a song by Bruce, I think of him and smile.