Where the Streets have No Name

LISTEN HERE: https://youtu.be/3FsrPEUt2Dg?si=lgbE5frZwaHAXV7U

Once upon a time, I was a geek. A Band Geek. I’ll own it. There’s not a thing I’m ashamed of in my past (well maybe some poor hairstyle choices) including my band days. From 5th grade on I had played flute for a youth band through St. X. My oldest brother and sister both also played in band and then were also in Marching Band. St. X was an all male Catholic high school. They formed the marching band and girls from surrounding all female Catholic schools could be part of the color guard as a flag or rifle girl. I remember my sister with her rifle and this AMAZING Pegasus flag that my mom made for her (my mom and another band mom also made new marching flags for the band). I wanted to be that that girl!

Is there anything better/healthier than having a sibling as a role model? I wanted so much to be just like my sister…she was so good at everything and so confident, had great friends, was incredibly smart. This is something my husband and I have tried to instill in our children, to be good role models to their younger siblings. Pressure much? Maybe. Right? Wrong? Who the hell knows….there’s no book on parenting (that I plan to read…lol).

So without any question I became a flag for St. X’s band. Were we any good? Nah. We were actually so small that the following year (My Sophomore year) we were too small to march, so we were just a pep band. But do I have amazing memories? Yer dang right I do!

That’s me up in the right hand corner of the picture….2nd from the end in the back. Little 13 year old Dawn. (Fun fact, that’s my cousin, Tina, next to me with the GIANT hair). The NEXT year, I got rid of the horrid glasses and felt like the swan emerging from the ugly duckling. The drum major asked me out (the dork in the front of the picture) and we dated for several months. Another fun fact, my mom made me ask my sister if I could date at 14 (Almost 15) because she had to wait until she was 16. She said yes…did I mention she was pretty cool?? The drum major dork was a huge U2 fan and BROKE MY HEART when he chose to go to a concert on MY BIRTHDAY! Another weird thing to remember, I know.

Every time I hear the opening guitar to “Where the Streets have No Name” I don’t think of him and the hurt, I think of my great band times!

For those of you that look down on band geeks, I would also submit that band is a great choice for those who don’t quite fit in anywhere else. Band members are very accepting, loyal and will defend their own, no matter how weird they are! These are not always qualities I’ve found on sports teams or with other social groups/clubs. Band geeks…UNITE!