The Day You Don't Forget

Brief narrative about an experience and how all things routine can make one complacent.

“Why do I do this” I thought to myself. Last night, was the fourth night in a row I had set sail with the Captain. Fleeting images from the night before start to emerge through the blackout haze. Drugs, sex; haha I wish, just a few dudes and a couple girlfriends sitting around playing beer pong.  Nothing too far from the norm, just the usual fools’ trying to make a boring Sunday night bearable.  Sadly, by our standards it was a success.

Groggily, I decided it was time to face reality. It was 7:45 a.m. and Intro to Microeconomics started at 8:10. After a quick analysis I concluded a shower at this point in time was too much effort and could be checked off the daily task list closer to the noon hour. Sweat pants and a dirty t-shirt seemed to be the plausible alternative. Out the door by 7:50, not bad, enough time to make it to cafeteria to grab some coffee and a bagel.

My classmate nudges me; turns out I’m drooling on the desk. This is not an unusual occurrence in this class. After all, it is 8:30 in the morning; attendance is mandatory but once you’re there the professor doesn't give a s**t what you do. 

“One more class to go” I think to myself.  Mondays are my easy day; class until noon then I have the rest of the day to procrastinate doing homework. I think about skipping but decide might as well go or else the guilt will be worse than the hour and a half spent in class.

Sitting in class listening to the professor drone on about Microsoft Access was actually a lot more bearable hungover I decided. My phone rings, it’s Dan, “What the hell does he want?” he hardly ever calls me except when it’s Friday night and he wants to attend that evenings functions. I hit ignore and keep on staring at the projector screen.  He leaves a voicemail. Kind of odd, but I’ll see what it is after class. More calls come in; John, Trevor, Tatum , my mom. They all leave voicemails; “Weird what the hell is going on?” Tiffany texts me “Where are you at?” I reply “Where else, in class. What’s up?”.

The rest of that day taught me more about life, love and loss than any other time in my life. A dear friend left this earth with so many questions unanswered. Six year later I look back, replaying the events as they unfold in my head. The day so lucid, seared into my memory forever; my friend has stayed with me in my dreams. Dropping in to remind me of the good times we had and that there is no normal, just one second can change your life forever…