24 and I never felt older

So winter break came and went, that was exciting. Word to the the wise, do not get the NORO virus on a cruise, that little bugger (HA, a pun) will fuck you and your family's shit up something awful.

Another thing that I did over break was return to my roots in San Diego. Thought I would see the old gang, catch up with old friends, see some new kids, get hjammered (not a typo) and man was that endeavor depressing. I'll sum it up with one activity, Disc Golf.

Back in the day, one of the many things our team did to encourage throwing and team bonding was to play disc golf on UCSD campus. Seeing that our campus is about as jumping as a 3-toed sloth, it sets up a decent time with some organized shotgunning and recreational frisbee activity. Its nothing exciting, aim for the Revelle Fountain, hit a specific light post, hit the Muir kiosk, bonus hole, etc... I am sure every school out there has a similar course on their campus and if they don't MAKE ONE UP STAT!!! I figured it would bring back some old times so I hit the old course with some buddies from undergrad.

Man was it depressing. It started off ok, but on the second hole, we are working the dog leg and when we got to the specific light post it straight up wasn't there. Talk about letting the air out of my tires. My adult identity was shaped on this course and then WHAM a stump where hole #2 used to be. This was when I started to feel the Coors and began my usual drunken emotional bitching. When we set out for hole #4 there was a new building in the way, A BUILDING?!?! Wow, have I really been out of college for that long?!? 2 1/2 years never felt like it could be such a long time. In any event, I still rapped the course because I have kept up with my disc skills but my god was I down in the dumps. It was such a bizarre experience to be somewhere that should be so familiar yet felt so alien. Needless to say the Talking Tree was still there and I gave it a big drunken hug. That old post-modern piece of shit has been spouting out endless audio crap for god knows how long and it makes me feel good that long after I have gone, it is still there, the same as it was when I was a freshman.

Bottom line, things were weird back at the old alma mater. Some of the freshman when I was a senior wanted to party and I obliged and we hit some bars. This could not have been weirder. It was like I was some over the hill rock star that all these kids thought was still a juggernaut party samurai. We played some beer pong, which I USED to think I was good at it. These kids rolled me like a freaking sushi chef. They were all so surprised too. I can remember saying, "in my day, we just played a few games every now and again. Maybe twice a month if I was lucky." These kids nowadays have tournaments with 60 teams!! How am I supposed to beat a 2 time champion?!?! One of the funniest things my friend JAM said during the night was "play like it's 2004". We all had a good laugh.

It was also weird hearing my stories being told back to me from my senior year as if they were dusty pages of history. I don't remember this, but apparently Bilbo was 8 foot tall and would eat a homeless man if you dared him. It was good to know that me and my undergrad posse wasn't forgotten but it still felt a bit eerie. And what's worse was since then, these kids have tried to continually one up themselves and now I am terrified to even set foot into one of their parties. I can remember when I was a squid, the renegades that we were on Spring Break, played century club on the docks in Big Bear, or drank 8 bottles of champagne in a day or, had underwear dance parties. But since then, folks have resorted to flipping furniture and tossing blendors into lakes. Not that I think I am above stupid party behavior (believe me, I still bring it), but man it has gotten out of hand. It is no wonder things like year long suspensions happen.

Another thing that was funny was when one freshman, now-senior, talked about the bars we used to frequent. Places like The Dog in Pacific Beach or Plum Crazy or the Night Owl. When these seniors finally became of age and checked these places out, they were very surprised. One kid told me, "Man I walked into The Dog and thought, 'man, this place sucks!' But after a few drinks, I was like, 'YEAH this place sucks but I love it!! This is where Match, and Bofa, and Jaws and the old guys used to go!!'" The lesson being that it's not about the bar when you are 21 (because you aren't the jaded horny wolf that I am now), it's about the people you share it with. The stupid jokes, the games and the stories really make the night.

Things got drastically better once I started to hang out with some of my contemporaries and we hit some bars in Ocean Beach, somewhere that is awesome and I totally missed out on when I lived in San Diego. Thanks Rookie, Billings and Tambler, if you are reading this, you made my weekend. Gwen, you got a great little sis, and I have always thought that.

I suppose the take home message is that you are only as old as you feel. I think Parinella is like 96 but now that he is going to World's, he writes like he is 54 again, I love it. I wasn't alive when Jim started playing but I felt like I was wayyy over the hill at some points, but then at others I was 21 again. To all those college kids out there, enjoy the experience because it doesn't last forever. I also want to say that the history of your team really matters. I know that W/L records and tournament results will always be remembered, but you have to work to keep the spittle memories alive. The stupid inside jokes, the legacies, they have to be saved. My friend and Colt .45 team mate, Socks, told me that Dartmouth is putting together a book of stories that are written down now for the enjoyment of future classes. Such a good idea. To all the teams out there, you might think your stories are funny now, but they won't survive unless they are remembered. But then again, maybe they need to be forgotten in order for new stories to come about. That way you get new material, folks feel the need to write their own history and thats good. I can remember hearing that every UCSD captain bought their first beer at the same 7-11 in PB. But then when I became of age, the thing to do was boot behind the dumpster at the Night Owl. I hope now it hasn't deteriorated into hospital trips, but who knows.

In addition, I think one more lesson that might shut me up, is keep track of your alumni, keep track of your alma mater, don't forget your roots. Traditions are important. They are the glue that keeps a team together. They are what keeps people coming back. I really think that kids want to play for an institution, not just a team, something that is bigger than themselves. I know I did. And I think one easy way to help do this, and UCSD does this very well (Yale is kinda ehh), is have an Alumni Day. Bring the old gang back and let the new kids know what their team history is and where it is headed. I think most college kids that read this already have an alumni day, which is great, but for those that don't, its a great way to build/maintain tradition.

In any event, I know I am just rambling. I have some real college ultimate and other articles coming up in the future. Stay tuned.

Just my thoughts

match diesel