- Ten years ago this day (January 2, 2004), I started on a journey that changed my life and how I saw myself. I returned to Columbus and The Ohio State University to get my college degree. That day was significant in that I never thought I would be going back to school after everything that had happened in my life up to that point, but here was the reality of me going back to college. I felt uneasy leading up to it because I was so eager and anxious to leave Ohio State better than the last time I left which didn't work out so well for me. Once I was there and settled in, however, I started feeling like I belonged there again. During that year, I tried my hand at a few things I had some interest in at the time...some I did well in, some I did not, but I did want to at least indulge a bit while I had a chance to do so since it was the first time probably in my life up to that point where I felt comfortable enough to do so. That particular journey ended later that year in December successfully when I finally earned my Bachelor of Arts in sociology. I had something I could never really claim before that time...a measureable accomplishment. I never really had one of those before...at least not in any real tangible sense...but once I earned my degree I could forever call myself something that can never be taken away from me: "college graduate". I did stay in Columbus a few more years hoping for some more of that lightning to strike but at least while I was there I finally finished something I started thirteen years earlier. As I look upon where I am eager and hoping to take DJ's Random Thoughts into the future, I constantly think of that journey I took in 2004 to finally get my college degree. Journeys start with a single step and I wanted to remember and immortalize here that one single step of my most successful journey to date that I took back on January 2, 2004.
- I had a decent New Year's Eve which I'll get to later in DJRT, but something happened while I was at the Red Fox that bugged me. I saw somebody I used to hang out with from 2001-02 there whom I hadn't seen in well over 10 years. We did have a falling out but before I left for OSU I saw him at the Harry Buffalo one night where we had talked things out and settled things...or at least I thought we did. Several years later, he friended me on Facebook and he asked if everything was still cool. I thought it certainly was and even had to remind him about us sorting things out before I left for school. Some time later he quietly dropped me from his FB friends list and I didn't hear from him again. I want to note a couple things about me and Facebook before I go on while I'm thinking about them: 1. I only add folks I have actually met or know personally in some form; 2. since I've been on Facebook, I have only dropped one person ever from my FB friends list and that was because I was trying to get news on something that person was supposedly assoicated with but I didn't really know them...I don't drop FB friends, JSYK. Getting back to the person I'm talking about here, I don't know why he dropped me, only that he did it. Fast forward to NYE. I saw him at the club and went up simply to say "hi" to him. He gave me the cold shoulder and completely ignored my attempt to talk to him. All I could do at that point was shrug my shoulders and walk away. I didn't know what was up with him but still I thought at least we could be cordial even though we hadn't seen each other for so long. I guess I was wrong on that. It bugged me because we used to hang out a lot for about a year or so back in the day. Everything wasn't all rosy back then especially on my end but still he helped me out sometimes when I needed it. I guess I was more bugged because it was something I never expected to happen when it did, but at the same time I have no idea what he's been up to in the past few years so whatever he's been going through or whatever feelings about the past he has, I can only pray that if I do see him again down the road things will turn out better. For now, I guess I'll just have to leave it be and leave him to whatever he wants to believe or let haunt him about back in the day.
- As I alluded to earlier, I did have a decent New Year's Eve despite what I just talked about. I hung out with Kevin, Brandon, Mary and a few other folks. There were a couple people buggin' on us throughout the night acting like they knew us when they really didn't (that does get annoying) and I was tired but other than that it was a good way to bring in the new year. I was tired because I wasn't rested enough before going out so that may have affected my mood a bit, but I was really happy to be there with my friends to hang out and dance. At least I did something this year as opposed to the past few, so that was a boon as well.
- I mentioned in the last edition that I was setting up a Facebook page for those who have clubbed with me or clubbed together over the years at various places I or my friends have hung out at. I'm still working on the page but I am looking for some old pics from back in the day or even videos if they are out there. I have some ready to go but I would really like to get some from times like Club Dance/Screaming Willies, the Harry Buffalo, the Outside Corner and other places we all went before I launch the page outright to everybody. I'm really excited about what I have so far for this but I do want more so if anybody who I haven't talked to yet from my Facebook friends list has some stuff they may want to share about the past or current stuff, send them my way or contact me on Facebook. I would like to get this going sooner rather than later but the more the page has at launch the better.
- Earlier this week the Cleveland Browns ended their latest season. It got so bad at the end of the season that they fired the head coach right after their last game against the Steelers. There was a lot of hope going into the season with a new coaching staff, a new management team and a new owner coming into his first full season with the team. After the first few games the Browns traded their starting RB Trent Richardson for a 1st round pick in the next NFL Draft and made their third-string QB Brian Hoyer the offensive starter. People thought it was indicative that the Browns were giving up on the season early but then they pulled off three straight wins with Hoyer as the starter. Once Hoyer went down to injury, it seemed everything started coming apart. Injuries started mounting up and only had one more win for the rest of the season. It seemed evident that the coaching wasn't always up to snuff in the last half of the season and the only person that seemed to be getting better as time went on was WR Josh Gordon who ended up with the league receiving title and a Pro Bowl nod. I do believe they got screwed by the refs in the Patriots game, but over the last half of the season it was a steady decline. In their last two games, I couldn't even watch the end of either because I was so turned off by how they seemed to be playing and how things seemed to be going down with them, which was a first for me in all the games I have watched over the years. It was that bad. At first, when it was announced that they fired Rob Chudzinski as head coach I didn't like the move, but then I got to thinking about my reaction in the last few games and given it didn't seem the coaches were improving nor most of the players as the season wore on, I now believe it was the right move. Now I know long-suffering fans are now mad with yet another coaching change but there is something different about this one than with the others, at least in my view. I'm getting the impression that the front office is no longer going to let indifference or continual decline through a season just slide by like past regimes had before. Yes, Chud was a local who dreamed of being with the Browns and people hated that this was possibly a knee-jerk reaction on management's part, but the way the season was wearing on, it was starting to be apparent that he wasn't ready or maybe even the right coach for this team. Something had to be done and I'm glad it happened sooner rather than later. I don't have any idea who the next coach will be. I do have a couple of candidates that might work but I'm not as sold on any one person as I have been in past coaching searches. I guess I'm just worn from the season and ready for the first time in a while to take a rest from football overall save for one more bowl game with the Ohio State Buckeyes tomorrow night.
- Song on Repeat: "Same Ol' G" by Ginuwine. I like this song but I don't really know why this song is appealing to me right now. It just seemed appropriate to put here given how much I've listened to it the past week or so.
- Shoutouts: Cory, Katie, Holly, Kevin, Aunt Sue, Jenny K., Michelle, W., Jamie, Kristin, Griff, Mary K., Brandon, Jay, Stan, Ron, Marcus D., Debbie, Scotty, Cheryl, Diane, Mary S., Debbie (from the Red Fox), Al, Jen C., Anna, Bob, Lynn and Maggie.
I really didn't expect to be doing DJRT until later on but like I said earlier I didn't want to lose the thoughts I had to the winds of time. In any case, I'm happy to do them. Before I go I want to recognize the two year anniversary of the DJRT Twitter account. I have over 1000 tweets and counting which will definitely include this edition. I don't know the next time I'm going out because there's supposed to be sub-zero temperatures over the next week or so, but I do want to get out sometime soon. In the meantime, for those of you about to be facing the extreme cold yourselves, stay as warm as you can. Until next time, folks. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
