Stories From The Vault

So I spent the majority of May on the road.. 5,200 miles in 4 trips.

I got a lot accomplished, business and pleasure, did what I set out to do and had a great time along the way. Pics/Recap in the photos section of my FB page. So looky there. I'll blog about it soon.

Oh, and if you do drive out that way be prepared for tons of Border Patrol Checkpoints along the way. You can kiss the 4th Admendments' ass buh-bye! There were K-9s there too so kiss the Supreme Courts' decision on that bye as well. (No. 99-1030 City of Indianapolis et al, v. James Edmond 2000)

..to even begin on all that is a blog in and of itself.

On with it..

I write today about a memory that occurred to me this morning while I was standing in my pj bottoms, pouring me a hot cup of java.
My recall was from my Freshmen Fall Semester that I spent at SAU (my college proceedings after that web together like a silly string prank gone awry, so I'll spare those details)

It was Fall 1997. I had turned down scholarship offers to go to the SEC and Big-10 schools for the comforts of being 35 miles away from my hometown, and me, being raised in a rather financially humble home, I had little other choice but to pick up a full-tuition (+expenses) scholarship to Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. My dad taught there, and him being divorced from my mom and removed from the home, I thought it would be a great way for us to bond and put the past in the past which it did.

So I accepted the Percussion Music Performance scholarship and met many new ppl, enjoyed classes, and really enjoyed performing with the Marching and Jazz band there.
It was also exciting that the SAU Mulerider football team had an undefeated record and went on to win the Gulf South Conference that year.

Begin Story:
For decades, the Heartbeat of SAU was a long-standing tradition that happened directly after the Homecoming Pep Rally on Thursday nights until the Homecoming football game at noon on Saturday. Band students would organize and congregate to play a heartbeat pulse on a rather large bass drum the entire time spanning from night thru dawn, thru day time, thru night thru dawn until kickoff. 2 solid days of a low, thumping, pulse that reminded the students that gameday was coming.

In the air was an undeniable spirit of nostalgia and hope, to win win win.

But this year was way different.
Where was "Bertha" the big drum with the heartbeat on it?? She was missing from her spot.
Days and days went by leading up to Thursdays' Homecoming pep rally with no sign of where the tradition-long heartbeat drum was located.. some claimed theft.. others claimed lies and deceit.. unfortunately it was deceit at the hands of the very man whos' students asked repeatedly to find Bertha.. Allen Buffington (Buffy), Percussion Director of SAU bands.

Seemed Allen put Bertha in an undisclosed location as he declared Bertha was over. No heartbeat that year.. nothing.. nada. He claimed it was an annoyance.. oh really?? After decades of use, an annoyance? I was FURIOUS. Not to say, my life at that moment revolved around this one hiccup, but goshdammit I would NOT be denied my newly found collegiate freedoms. I WOULD NOT BE DENIED. No one would step up to the plate so I had to take matters into my own hands..

With 2 hours to spare until the pep-rally, I made the decision to skip Jazz Band and hopped into my 1981 Datsun pickup (oh yeah baby) and zoomed to El Dorado to pick up a spare bass drum I had at my house (don't ask).
I showed back up to SAU in enough time to throw my snare drum in the back of the truck and got to the Greek Theatre just as the band was warming up. We played the selected stand tunes and had the pep rally. All the drummers looking at me with smiles in our eyes as we knew the toll of the heartbeat was about to begin..

As the rally came to a close, my brother John raced over to my truck, found the bass drum in the back, perched it atop my truck cab and just like Compton, began blasting away those thudded tones of heartbitual delight. THUD-THUD. THUD-THUD as those still in attendance for the Homecoming rally blasted back in cheers! It was awesome! Most of the drummers hopped in the back of the truck with John as I drove away slowly doing a lap around the school meeting classmates on the street to cheers and pumping fists of admiration.

We joyously headed back to the band hall to unload the drums from the rally and that is where the party almost ended.. Buffington, standing there with arms crossed, as you can imagine he was PISSED OFF at our display of disloyalty.

With other students looking on, He walked up to me and pointed his finger into my chest and said "Your actions have just caused you to lose your scholarship and your position as drummer in the Jazz Band, and if you don't stop this right now you will lose your postion on the feild and won't perform tomorrow as well."

shitshitshit what did I do right?? lol. But I had to tighten up quickly, my people were all around. Steadying myself, I looked at him and pointed my finger in his face and said "You don't have the f*ckin' authority to do shit, and I'd like to see you go on and try it."

pin drop, people. pin drop.

He quietly walked away, and I put up my gear, the onlookers really didn't say much. Some said I handled it wrong. Which in hindsight you know, but I had to do what I said I was gonna do and headed over to Harton Theatre in the middle of the mall to set up shop.

It got cold rather quickly that night and there were times where I was alone beating that damn drum. About 10 pm, a red truck showed up and parked in front of me. It was Buffy and he brought bass drum mallets and a thermos of hot chocolate. He asked where everyone was, and I didn't say much, just shrugged my shoulders. He apologized and said "administration, you know" and handed me the thermos. He also said that the job was mine still for the Jazz band and I wouldn't be losing my scholarship! About that time, Penny Dew and friends began to show up and rotate out on who and when would take turns on the drum! HOORAY!
I went home late that nite, got up early the next day to find Brandon beating on the drum. He looked exhausted but happy to see me.
And throughout the day, students would come by and lay in on that drum. And throughout the night a party was held at the drumsite into the morning where those who hadn't slept rolled into the stadium at noon with the heartbeat bangin', fans cheering the arrival of the heartbeat until the kickoff blast of the canon..
We won that game against Henderson State. Stomped 'em hard.
..and went 11-1 for that year.

I don't know what's become of Bertha or the whole Tradition of The Heartbeat of SAU now, but for that one small sliver in time, that one moment.. it was OURS.

Love and Light,
M