Don't You Forget About Me

I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby...(has there ever been a more true lyric)?

Hello again. It's been a long while. Much longer than expected. I thought this might be a good time to resurface, now that it's the spooky season and hockey is about to return.

​It's almost like it never left. It seems like just last week I was watching game seven of the Stanley Cup Final from my dad's hospital room, cheering on the Panthers (much to his dismay). That time of being at the hospital every day feels like a weird dream--like it happened on another planet and I was someone else, and sometimes I wake up and think I have to get ready to go back. It's something I fear, and I don't know what's around the corner. I mean, we never know.

So, here we are again, at the start of the hockey season, awaiting that familiar feel-good sound of the Canucks' goal song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds. It really is the best goal song in the league, and I hope they roll with it for a very long time.

​I fell in love with the song many years ago, when The Breakfast Club first came out on video. I was having a sleepover with my friend, Patricia, and her mom let us rent it. I remember feeling so grown up watching it, back when being grown up seemed cool. I wonder what happened to Patricia. As it turns out, some people have wondered the same about me.

I was just going through my website, and came across some old form submissions I had missed. They were from over two years ago. There were two in particular I wish I had seen when they were submitted. One was from my college history professor, who had stumbled upon my blog and wanted to reach out to tell me that he was enjoying my writing. The other was from my high school boyfriend, who I haven't spoken to in ages.

As much as I felt badly about missing those messages, I didn't judge myself harshly for it. I'm getting better at that. I've finally learned the cost of that old habit, and I just can't afford it anymore.

I've had to face some scary realities that have made me reconsider what's important, and as it turns out, it's none of the things I once thought were. Well, maybe not NONE of those things, but there are some things that used to have value that no longer do. Social media spaces, surface-level connections, and other people's bullshit opinions, to name a few. I used to think I didn't care about those things, but I guess I did. I felt like I needed to explain myself to people, or answer questions about aspects of my life that were none of their business. I'm much more comfortable being silent and still now. And it's a good thing, because I need my energy for the things that really do matter.

On that note, I need to get going. Maybe I'll be back soon to talk about some of my bullshit opinions, or some shitty movies I've watched. 

The NHL is back in action today, so I'll be checking out some hockey games. I'm looking forward to seeing the Panthers start the season as the champs, and I'm feeling pretty good about the Canucks being in that position this time next year. The puck drops for the Canucks tomorrow, and oh boy, am I excited! It feels good to have things to be excited about. And there's always something, no matter how small. I remind myself of that each day. 

And, of course, I will leave you with a song. You know the one. The one I hope to hear lots tomorrow night, and many, many times this season. Enjoy, and take care. Go Canucks Go!