Dude, Is the Band READY Yet!

I guess so...!

Indiana

Well Growing up in Indiana you wouldn't know that there was any other religion more important than Basketball. While I enjoyed the team comradery, the competition, the art of mastering the perfect free throw. Honestly, I can say that basketball was fun, but the first thing that comes to mind when I think of my childhood fun in Indiana is the Annual Circle City Classic Football game held in Indianapolis. The Classic marked the first time I entered a professional football stadium. It was Amazing.... I couldn't believe all the people, all the seats, the delicious food, and everything else you can imagine. Just the sheer joy for an 10 year old to see a packed sports stadium for the first time. Staring around, I saw some people had a poetry about them as they moved through the crowd. For me I just couldn't believe these types of crowds existed in an orderly and cordial fashion. It wasn't my everyday experience. It was mind boggling to take it all in with my pounding heart lacking breathe. Especially knowing like all the other boys in my elementary school I'd play football in this stadium one day. It was a mini-rush to feel the energy in the stadium and observe all the new interactions for the first time. People bumping into eachother but nobody really bothered as though it was all part of the game. And then all of sudden you would see two men laugh it off and start talking about who was going to win the game or how the young quarterbacks would compete under the pressure of the big lights. Yea, It was all part of the experience. I remember waking up for the early morning parade and as usual I waited for the horses because no parade is complete without horses. There were concerts, food, art sellers, and of course no sleep. It was my parents duty to attend every event, to give us as many experiences as possible without hearing us whine. Man... Dont forget about the Band.... What class do you enroll in to learn how to Moon Walk while playing the Tuba. How many push-ups does it take to join the drum line?! My first time seeing a marching band keep beat to an R&B slow jam while staying in sync with a serious faced band conductor was a pure joy. And then they had the nerve to top it all off by spelling words on the field as if the crowd needed an impromtu english lesson. So now you got Football, R&B, and English class rolled into one event for under $50 bucks. Man, You can't beat the 80's. Music, dance, choreography, Football... Who thought this up? Well Mom, I'm headed to College.... IT WAS MY FIRST BIG STADIUM GAME. I had never seen a performance so free and uninhibited. It was more motivational than Sunday School. And you know what, the game was televised. Which made it even more next level. SHOOT MAN!, I'm about to be on TV...! Now, I know there's the Indy 500, Purdue/Indiana Basketball, and Bobby Knight, but nothing compares to the Circle City Classic at 10 years old.

Dude, Is the Band READY Yet!

Indiana

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