By JENNA JENKINS
Spring Grove Area Senior High School
I stood in the end zone, frozen, with a constant shiver. The cold winds were seeping through every inch of my five layers, chilling my bones. All of my extremities were barely moveable and only slightly usable. With temperatures below freezing and the wind chill making it feel below zero, it took all I had to hold up my four flags, two hoops and rifle under my right arm.
Where, you ask yourself, was I? And why on earth was I subjecting myself to such insane conditions?
It was Oct. 28, the South Western Cavalcade of Bands Competition, and I stood freezing at the end zone of the South Western High School football field, anticipating the next moment when I would enter the field in competition with 65 or so of my classmates as a part of the Spring Grove Rocket Marching Band.
At that very moment I was asking myself, “What in the world am I doing here? Why am I standing outside wearing so many socks that I can’t feel my toes? Why am I not instead at home sitting by the fire, wrapped in a fleece blanket?� I was seriously thinking about dropping everything and running all the way home to generate some kind of warmth, but that would be extreme. Instead, being the rational person I am, I contemplated the meaning of my very time and place.
Slowly, I realized this was indeed what I signed up for.
I am a member of the Blue Crue color guard. This is what I do. For the last four years, I have endured all the elements known to Pennsylvania while spinning and tossing a large metal pole. As “band geek-ish� as it may sound (and I use those words with love), I enjoyed almost every minute of it. I’ve experienced an undefeated season and a championship win, flown to the Aloha state, and met friends who have changed my life. Don’t laugh, I know there are plenty of you band geeks out there who know exactly what I’m talking about.
There’s just a certain feeling you get, being part of a marching band, an ambiance, like you’re connected to everyone else involved. After all, when 60-some high school kids march in unison to the beat of a drum, and every left foot is hitting at the same time, you’ve got at least one thing to be proud of. After recently finishing my last year in the Blue Crue, I’ve come to realize how lucky I was to share this feeling with my fellow band mates.
Leave a comment