Laughter in Crowds

I couldn't figure out a way to find laughter in in crowds until I went home. At my high school assembly I noticed that everyone was laughing for no other reason than just company. The video quality is poor because it was very creepy filming random people without them knowing, but it does show that humor is contagious through people.

My Best Friend

Melissa Lopez, aka the homie, aka concert buddy. A little younger than me, born in August, Mexican, student at NYU, my best friend. We have a very similar taste in music and so it makes intuitive sense that we would go to concerts together. Our junior and senior years of high school brought us the tours of almost all of our favorite bands. My personal favorite was Onerepublic and Sara Bareilles at The Greek Theatre.

            The Greek is without a doubt the most aesthetically pleasing concert location in the Los Angeles area. It is not too big like the Hollywood Bowl, but it can still fit enough people to make one feel as if people are everywhere. The theatre is surrounded by trees and hills, which makes the acoustics amazing. In addition, from every seat I have ever sat at, I could clearly see the stage.

            Ill skip the horrendous traffic on the over an hour trip to the concert, we lived in Orange County, and head straight to the concert. By the time we got to our seats we had little time before Sara Bareilles, now known as SB, came out for her part of the concert. I really didn’t know what to expect. I heard her one song “Love Song” but aside from that I really wasn’t too aware of her music—I came for Onerepublic. She comes out already emotional at the size of the crowd. Sara is from LA so to see this size of crowd brought out some emotions. She opened with a song that neither of us were familiar with and we just nodded our heads because the tune was somewhat catchy. She then started singing some of her more popular songs and we began getting into it. To this day I will argue that she had the greatest voice I have ever heard live from a female. As one of her songs concluded and she played the piano with one hand holding a glass of wine, she sang “Mother F****** Douc****g.” Almost simultaneously we look at each other and say how much we want to be that MFD because that was one of the most graceful things we had ever heard. She sang so well that at points it sounded cleaner than her recorded tracks, and yet was louder than one would expect. The two of us stood amongst a crowd of sitting viewers singing what we knew and nodding our heads. She eventually ended the show to her song “King of Anything” where she convinced the crowd to sing the “Oh, Oh” part of the song. Then we just waited for Onerepublic and played 2048, a mobile app that was extremely popular at the time.

            It was excruciating, we were so close to seeing Onerepublic and yet it felt as if we had eternity left for them to perform. The thing you must know about Melissa is that she knows the words to every Onerepublic song. She is a pretty large fan so the anticipation was built faster than normal. As we are talking about how great Sara Bareilles was a cloth is rolled down and then the band began playing “Light It Up” the song they played at the beginning of every concert this tour because it made them feel like “rockstars.” We jumped up and I kid you not sang almost every word of every song for a little over an hour. We freaked out and frantically screamed as it turned out Gavin Degraw was at the show—we saw him about a week prior to this event so we were surprised to see he was still in town. At the end of the concert when everyone around us was just plain tired of how loud and excited we were for the show, a couple came up to us and gave us their backstage passes for a meet a greet. We sat. We couldn’t believe that some random strangers didn’t want to go to the meet and greet, let alone, give them to us. We looked at each other and figured that it was worth being out extremely past curfew.

            The thing about Melissa is that she always has my back. In any endeavor I took, I knew that I had one person supporting almost every action. We are literally a nineties boyband: N’ Sync. She can tell you what I am thinking and this is no lie. When I visited her in New York last year I gave her a band name and she could name at least 2/5 songs I was thinking of (many were obscure). Melissa will always be my best friend because we are too similar and too different not to get along. I mean let’s be honest, if someone can stand being in a car with my singing for over an hour I’m pretty lucky. Let alone twice for every concert we went to. Melissa Lopez, aka my best friend.

Tommy John

During high school I played baseball year round through my school and assortment of travel ball teams. During my sophomore year I drove to San Diego for a baseball tournament. That morning I received a call from one of my coaches begging me to drive down for a tournament so I could pitch. San Diego was around an hour and half from my house so the drive was pretty significant. I get to the game and basically walk out of my car and onto the field to start playing catch. Everything seems good to go. In my pregame bullpen I hit all of my spots and felt untouchable. 

            The game started but we were the home team so I had to wait for us to bat before I pitched. We ended hitting extremely well and I got up to bat and got a broken bat single with an rbi. Eventually the inning ends and it is my turn to go out a show the other team what I can do.  

            The first batter walks in the box and I stared at him from the mound, like I did to every hitter. I get my sign and throw a fastball, strike one. I was throwing pretty hard that day so I felt good about that pitch. I get the ball back, step on the mound and receive my next pitch selection. Fastball on the outside corner, strike two. Everyone in the stadium knew what pitch was coming next, curveball in the dirt. As planned, the batter swings and misses and the catcher throws to first for the first out of the inning. The next hitter comes up, and I cannot believe this kid is 15. The batter was Mexican, around 6’3, 180ish pounds, but muscle. My coach yells out to me to watch out for this kid. Already knowing that, I get on the mound ready to pitch. I throw back to back curveballs, one for a called strike and one for a swinging strike in the dirt. The hitter is now 0-2 and feeling great about my fastball I am elated to see the pitch call of a high fastball. I get in my wind up and throw the pitch. Boom, a homerun, hit pretty far out of the ballpark. I shake it off knowing we have a pretty significant lead and focus on the next hitter.

            There is one out and the next hitter walks into the batter’s box. I get the call of a fastball and miss high, a little amped from just letting up and absolute bomb to the previous hitter. I throw two consecutive curveballs for swinging strikes to bring the count to 1-2. I then throw a fastball high and the hitter takes. 2-2. I see the call for a curveball in the dirt and I know this will work. I begin my windup and as I release the ball I feel a tingling pain run up my elbow. I reach my glove hand to my elbow and begin to hop on the ball of my right foot trying to make the pain go away. Oh yeah, and the hitter broke his batter for a single of a pitch that nearly bounced. As I walked around the mound, my internal temperature rising, I squeeze my cap to try and subside the pain in my elbow. My coach walks out to see if everything is ok. He tells me to try and throw another pitch to see how my elbow feels. Hesitantly, I step back on the mound and breathe out. Mentally preparing myself for what could come, I go through my wind up and as I release the pitch my elbow hurts more than I could imagine. I hop again, this time faster as I feel the pain pulsing along my forearm and elbow. Without saying a word, I hop to the dugout, knowing that this can’t be good. I get to the bench and then I just sit, waiting for my elbow to not feel as I was hit in my funny bone but painful and seriously elongated.

            As quickly as they can they bring me ice and I just sit there thinking, today I drove and hour and a half to break my bat, let up a homerun, and hurt my elbow. Not to mention, I still had to drive home. After 20 minutes of pure icing, I walk up to the dugout and watch as the other team begins scoring runs and tying the ballgame. After months of physical training and different results from x-rays, I am finally ordered a lithograph on my elbow. It turns out, not only did I have bone chips in my elbow (which later I found out were around a centimeter large), I also had a torn ulnar collateral ligament in my elbow. My options were to experiment with injections or have Tommy John. After long deliberations with my family, I chose to not pitch again so I could at least play baseball my senior year. Never will I ever forget hopping around on that mound wishing and wishing for me not feel anything in my elbow and be able to finish off the rest of the game.

Favorite TV Show, will contain spoilers

Legen—wait for it I can’t believe this is the best blog in the world—One day, sophomore year, I spent the night at my friend Ryan’s house and we watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother. I could not stop laughing and later that week I ended up watching the entire first season. I was hooked.

Although it is a sitcom presented in 30 minute episodes, I became emotionally attached. By the end of the first season I wanted nothing more than for Ted and Robin to fall in love and up with each other. But Carter Bays and Craig Thomas wouldn’t give me the satisfaction. The two messed with my emotions because the entire time you are watching the show you are constantly laughing at the audacity of Barney Stinson, the quirkiness of the friend group, and the situational irony, but then out of nowhere it gets serious.  This show is a very good representation of the incongruity theory because every time one expects something to happen, a funny alternative is provided to enhance the experience. And Although one is laughing throughout the show, by the time one has watched two seasons, he is too emotionally invested in each character to let the humor act as the main reason to watch the show. As Carter and Craig allowed the characters to really show their true selves, it became impossible not to fall in love with them.

And with love, comes tears. This show made me cry for the first time from something that was not the direct result of pain or a real life tragedy. Somewhat towards the end of the show, Season 7 I believe,  (SPOILER) (SPOILER) Barney proposes to Robin through an elaborate scheme that was the result of his actions for the entire season. He titled his play “The Robin.”  Through the episode he tricks Robin into meeting him on the rooftop of a building where she sees a page lying on the ground. The show reads every step and then Robin reacts in astonishment, livid at Barney for lying to her the entire season. When my emotions are officially messed with and I have no idea what to expect, Barney says “Turn it over” and on the paper it reads, “Step 16: Hope she says yes,” I lost it. I saw him on one knee and I didn’t know what was going on. My jaw clenched and I swallowed my saliva. I felt the tingling under my eyes and near my nose that one feels right before they cry and tried as hard as I could to prevent them. My efforts were moot as tears dripped down my face. I wiped them off without knowing what was more shocking that Barney proposed to Robin or that I am actually crying at a television show. Of course being the macho man that every boy is raised to be I hid my tears before anyone realized what I was doing and asked the most aggravating question at that age, “Is everything alright?”

How I Met Your mother is my favorite television show because it teaches me more and more about myself each time I watch. The show is extremely well written because each individual can relate to every character, regardless of gender. Aside from Step 16, there are an abundance of emotional moments such as the death of Marshalls father and when Barney cries to his real father about being a boring old dad. But it also holds moment of pure comedy genius such as my favorite episode where Barney enters on The Price is Right to meet his “real” father.  Regardless of my current emotional state, How I Met Your Mother can make my day. I mean heck, I wore a ducky tie to graduation—dary.

             

Changing Schools

I am fat. I don’t know anyone. I am smart. My thoughts as I walked into Ms. Sherman’s sixth grade classroom on the first day of school. For a myriad of reasons, it was my third school in three years and I had zero expectations for this day.

            So I walk in and the teacher asks me my name and where I am from. I say Robbie and I live right down the street (I literally did).  Everyone laughs and I begin to smile thinking it may not be that bad. So I try and find my desk and I am lost. I am wider than most of the aisles and so I have to walk sideways, I guess more like waddle, to reach my desk. I also am carrying an assortment of school supplies, which on the paper we received in the mail said we had to bring on the first day of school. Unfortunately, no one told me that no one brought the supplies the first day of school and so there I was the fat kid, wearing clothes that did not match (I had always worn a uniform and so matching was not a problem), struggling to carry everything. I sit down and after what felt like forever, we have recess. Awkwardly I walk outside and see a couple kids I recognized from little league. Step by step I walk down our hill made of concrete trying not to run so I could appear to be cool. Truth is, when you are overweight and are walking at a decline, it is incredibly difficult to slowly walk down. At any rate, I make it down the hill safely and jog out to them playing with some ball on the grass fields. It turns out there were a couple new kids who were in my class so we all got to knowing each other and what we did for fun. We then joined in on the “cool kids’” conversation where for the most part, we fit in. The bell rang over the intercom system and I remember them saying something about actually having to learn with a few expletives thrown in there (six graders did that significantly for some reason).

            I walk in and see Ms. Sherman nervously pacing around the classroom. Today it wasn’t just my first day, but hers too. We open our science textbooks and she asks us what we already know about the topic at hand. I think it was Earth science. I raise my hand because never in my life has it been a problem to participate in class. I begin talking and the rest of the class goes silent. I mean no background conversation, no pens tapping against the desks, just my voice talking about all the stuff I knew about the Earth. At that age I also enjoyed reading and so my vocabulary was quite advanced. After an hour we had lunch and I went to sit with the same kids who I hung out with at recess. As we walked towards the lunch tables, a couple kids heely’d. Being of a larger stature I never once had the thought to try those because all I could visualize was a fat kid rolling down a hill falling from his Heeleys. As I sit, I listen to their conversation for a little bit and then contribute some of my own thoughts.  Midway through my comment I am stopped and asked why I use words that no one knows what I mean. They told me it was weird and that I should really lessen the words I use so that they could understand. Trying to fit in once, I tell myself never again am I using an advanced vocabulary and I really didn’t (barring a few mistakes). I was afraid to read because I didn’t want to learn new words so I told myself I would stop doing that. Once again the bell rang but this time I sluggishly walked to class. I figured most people would not question my slow pace because they would attribute it to me being out of shape and so I stepped, one foot at a time, contemplating what I was going to do at school when I wasn’t allowed to learn.

            I walk to my desk and sit down and for the rest of the day said no words. As the final bell rang, I grabbed my Hurley backpack and without waiting for my brother I just begin to walk home. Eventually he caught up to me, he was in much better shape, but at that time we were basically I home. I go up to my room and just lay down on the floor, feeling the roughness of the carpet against my neck just thinking. Thinking about how I could fit into this school that seemed like a completely different planet.

            The rest of the year was not as bad as the first day. I eventually gave up trying to be stupid because it killed me not to be able to correct mistakes or read for that matter. I began reading A Series of Unfortunate Events and since those were cool books, it was acceptable for me to constantly read. That year I finished second in AR points to Celine, who really shouldn’t have won but I had a two-month delay which caused me the close loss. That day was rough, but without that experience, who knows when I would have learned the importance of caring about one’s education more than what others think.

Learning Part 4

            This semester I joined a fraternity and for the most part have loved almost every experience I have had.  Part of my duties in this fraternity is to complete community service hours. In high school I completed various community service activities through my baseball team, ASB, and key club. However, last year I slacked on my community service and really only contributed through my time with Best Buddies. This year I decided to volunteer through Kinderfrogs and my life has changed.

            I have always enjoyed helping others, but there was something with these children that just being in their presence made me truly happy. This year has been beyond stressful and at times overwhelming. When I go to volunteer at Kinderfrogs, my mind is at peace. No matter what one has going on, there is always a way to put your life in perspective.

            Each and every time I volunteer at Kinderfrogs I find myself learning something new. Whether it is about the students, myself, or life in general, I learn. I used to play baseball with this kid who had a lack of oxygen at birth and as a result could not think or behave as those of us fortunate enough to be born in a normal fashion. To my point, every time I went to practice I learned something. He would make comments that I simply would never think about. Whether it involved our game, the weather, or public event, I would find myself always contemplating at what he said.

            Now at Kinderfrogs the contemplation exists, but in a different way. I remember last time I went I was helping these two girls play basketball. As they were shooting baskets, it was difficult because the hoop was much taller in comparison to their bodies, the two girls began talking about life. Eventually, one girl said to the other, “Let’s talk about that tomorrow, we have better stuff to talk about today.” I couldn’t believe what I had heard. When I was a kid all I wanted to do was play. Run around, play sports, solve puzzles. These two girls were literally planning their next day. The thought of that would have been so above my head at that age that I started to laugh in disbelief. The guy next to me couldn’t believe it as we began talking about how crazy what we just witnessed was. The girls continued playing and their conversation changed just as they planned.

            The point I am trying to make is that this simplest events or actions in life can tell you more about life than you originally think. Whatever one is doing, no matter the circumstance, there is always someone that can make you feel better. Whether or not the help is intentional or not is irrelevant because in the end, happiness is what matters.  I find this applicable to my semester because I have been extremely busy and have lacked spare time.  The class I thought for sure I would have an A in is currently killing me and my GPA, My work hours have been miserable and sometimes I find it impossible to find peace in my own dorm.  But at the end of the day, I have perspective and know that these externalities are only temporary.

            This year I have learned perspective. Thanks to Kinderfrogs and the overwhelming amount of work I have received from my classes, I have learned that having no time is not necessarily a problem. Yes there activities I would rather complete than studying, class and work, but in the end, every action I do has a reason. Whether it is to help out others or myself, I live my life to provide society with some benefit. This semester I learned that no matter how down, stressed, or busy one can get, there is always a reason to be at peace.

            This semester I joined a fraternity and for the most part have loved almost every experience I have had.  Part of my duties in this fraternity is to complete community service hours. In high school I completed various community service activities through my baseball team, ASB, and key club. However, last year I slacked on my community service and really only contributed through my time with Best Buddies. This year I decided to volunteer through Kinderfrogs and my life has changed.

            I have always enjoyed helping others, but there was something with these children that just being in their presence made me truly happy. This year has been beyond stressful and at times overwhelming. When I go to volunteer at Kinderfrogs, my mind is at peace. No matter what one has going on, there is always a way to put your life in perspective.

            Each and every time I volunteer at Kinderfrogs I find myself learning something new. Whether it is about the students, myself, or life in general, I learn. I used to play baseball with this kid who had a lack of oxygen at birth and as a result could not think or behave as those of us fortunate enough to be born in a normal fashion. To my point, every time I went to practice I learned something. He would make comments that I simply would never think about. Whether it involved our game, the weather, or public event, I would find myself always contemplating at what he said.

            Now at Kinderfrogs the contemplation exists, but in a different way. I remember last time I went I was helping these two girls play basketball. As they were shooting baskets, it was difficult because the hoop was much taller in comparison to their bodies, the two girls began talking about life. Eventually, one girl said to the other, “Let’s talk about that tomorrow, we have better stuff to talk about today.” I couldn’t believe what I had heard. When I was a kid all I wanted to do was play. Run around, play sports, solve puzzles. These two girls were literally planning their next day. The thought of that would have been so above my head at that age that I started to laugh in disbelief. The guy next to me couldn’t believe it as we began talking about how crazy what we just witnessed was. The girls continued playing and their conversation changed just as they planned.

            The point I am trying to make is that this simplest events or actions in life can tell you more about life than you originally think. Whatever one is doing, no matter the circumstance, there is always someone that can make you feel better. Whether or not the help is intentional or not is irrelevant because in the end, happiness is what matters.  I find this applicable to my semester because I have been extremely busy and have lacked spare time.  The class I thought for sure I would have an A in is currently killing me and my GPA, My work hours have been miserable and sometimes I find it impossible to find peace in my own dorm.  But at the end of the day, I have perspective and know that these externalities are only temporary.

            This year I have learned perspective. Thanks to Kinderfrogs and the overwhelming amount of work I have received from my classes, I have learned that having no time is not necessarily a problem. Yes there activities I would rather complete than studying, class and work, but in the end, every action I do has a reason. Whether it is to help out others or myself, I live my life to provide society with some benefit. This semester I learned that no matter how down, stressed, or busy one can get, there is always a reason to be at peace.

           

What I learned 3: John Hughes and Nora Ephron

John Hughes and Nora Ephron. Ask me who they were a month ago and I would have hesitantly laughed, questioning my knowledge and how I could not know who these people were. I would then follow with a thought doubting the importance of the two. Now, I would laugh at the questioner, responding, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sleepless in Seattle.”

            Before this class, I never really gave credit to the writers of cinematic masterpieces. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been my favorite movie since before I was twelve. I can still vividly remember asking my camp counselor why he was wearing a shirt that said, “Save Ferris.” It was an overnight camp so when I arrived home I pleaded and pleaded until I convinced my parents to let me watch the movie. Although at the time I don’t think I understood the growing up part of the movie, the movie itself was just so brilliant to my young and impressionable self. You have the protagonist Ferris who I saw as just the coolest guy (I mean he sang Twist and Shout during a parade).  The movie is the greatest comedy film of all time, even if the class poll did not prove such.

            The bigger picture, and what I learned, is how talented and incredible John Hughes was. National Lampoons Vacation, Home Alone, the list goes on. So I wonder, how did I not know of John Hughes? I love most of his movies. I know the names of the main actors. And yet, I couldn’t even have told you who he was a month ago.

            The same problem arises with Nora Ephron. Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally. Obviously I am not as interested in these movies as Ferris Bueller’s Day off, but the problem arises that I have no idea who the writer was.

            At first I thought this was more of an individual problem of me simply not caring in general about who actually creates entertainment content vs. who performs the content. However, when it comes to music I am fairly familiar with who writes the music that I listen to.  So I began to wonder if this problem is only applicable to movies. When I read, I know the author. When I play a video game, I actually am familiar, at least in some cases, with the writers. But when I watch, I can really only tell you the network or the actors.

            Before this class I was unaware of the great writing behind some of my favorite movies. Because of this class I have started to wonder who is writing what I am watching. Jon Bokenkamp writes The Blacklist and Michael Bacall, Rodney Rothman wrote 22 Jump Street. This year I have learned to appreciate those who write the films I watch, not just their starring cast. It takes talent to create movies such as The Breakfast Club, Home Alone, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Lampoons National Vacation. After this class I will never forget the names John Hughes and Nora Ephron because this class has opened my eyes the pure brilliance they possess in the English language.

LOL at the Baylor vs. TCU game

This Thanksgiving I decided to stay at TCU rather than go home to my warm, 70 degree weather of Southern California. Although I gave up a large meal with deserts aplenty for some pizza and sliders from 7-11, it was worth it to see our Horned Frogs beat some Bears in double overtime. The week started with my friend from home and my friend who is currently serving for the Air Force and stationed two hours (roughly) away joining me for this great occasion. As they arrived I introduced them to my roommates and friends and the weekend began.

Ill skip forward to the day of the big game, the day where we began to laugh unbelievably. The day began with the three of us waking up rather early because my friend is accustomed to waking up around 5 for the Air Force. The weather outside was not bad—sprinkling at best. After an eventful morning of videogames ranging from Fallout 4 to Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, we walked to Einstein’s Bagels. Until now I Have boycotted Einstein’s because of their removal of the Sun Dried Tomato Schmear. I kid you not, I asked the server to try every type of schmear. The only one I could bare was the salmon schmear and it was mediocre at best. However we stayed because my friend from the Air Force loved it last time, when the schmear was actually being sold there. After we ate we began to walk back to my dorm and it hit, the rain.

Until this point we tricked ourselves into believing that the rain would somehow miss and at the game there would be nothing but clouds. Sadly the rain only picked up as the day continued. The Baylor vs. TCU game came and one of my friends decided to stay home because of the absolutely terrible weather. For some reason my roommates and one of my friends thought it would be a great idea to arrive at the game two hours early to guarantee a great seat. Two hours later, the game is postponed and my clothes are beyond wet. At that point I thought, “How could it get any worse?” I was mistaken. As the game started It rained harder and harder and then finally I began to lose feeling in my body. The entire fourth quarter I was telling myself please no overtime. However, overtime came and my hips were at the point of breaking—a tad hyperbolistic. However we stopped Baylor in the second overtime and then it started, the running to rush the field.

In my head I was already registering how painful it was just to move. However, as my friend and I began running down my hips began to freeze as if I was an 80 year old man. I get to the wall and I can’t do it. I physically cannot get my legs high enough to hop the fence. My friend and I begin hysterically laughing as the thought of hopping a barrier around my bellybutton should have provided no challenge. People began complaining but we couldn’t help but laugh. Eventually after people started swarming around us we began using our arms to physically push my legs up. We couldn’t help but realize what we were actually doing and laughed more. Eventually I made it over and I began waddling around the field in euphoria. However the laughing did not subside until I got off the field, well struggled to climb the steps and had to use the rail.

Although the laughter was very inconvenient, it made my memory of that Baylor vs. TCU Football Game even better. My friend and I will never forget my hobbling and the disbelief we had when I physically could not get my own leg over the barrier. I have received texts almost every day about that incident and honestly, I doubt they will end anytime soon.