Becoming a THE

Tonight I think I'll start off and end with talking about something near and dear to my heart, and that's people.  More importantly it is the people that I am close to.  Over the past month I got the chance to spend time with some of my favorite people in the history of the world, and over this time period there has been something that has just been sort of building in me, and I knew I was going to write about it in some way or another, and tonight I just figured I would write so that all you might know exactly how I feel.

There has been this thing sort of building in me lately.  It's something that maybe a lot of people go through at one point or another in their lives or maybe I'm the only crazy person that has this kind of stuff happening to him, my therapist says it's something about child abandonment issues. Just kidding I don't go to a therapist, I mean I don't need somebody else to tell me I'm crazy. But anyway I digress, so I've been having this "what does it all mean?" "where is my place in this world?" kind of moments lately and just this overall feeling of what am I doing.  And over the past month spending time with my favorite people has lead me to realize something about myself.

I'm an IS, and at some point, and I'm not saying today or tomorrow, but someday I know that I want to be a part of a THE.  I know that sentence is really confusing so let me explain this to you and you all be the judge and tell me what you think. 

When I go out or I'm at a party or I'm just meeting people for the first time somebody will normally introduce me by saying, "hey, this IS Brandon, or this IS Ponder." Which is cool perfectly understandable because I am and IS.  But what I'm telling all of you tonight is that I can't wait until the point the I'm a part of a THE. As in "hey, let me introduce you to THE Ponders." Because in the past month or so I've seen first hand just how special it is to be a part of a THE.

I know this sounds really weird, believe me I know what the things that come out of my head sound like, but on this one I'm so serious.  And you need to know not everyone can be a THE.  Just because you're in a relationship or you're a part of a family unit it doesn't mean that you are automatically a THE. 

I know it all sounds crazy but you just don't know about this stuff first hand like I do.  But if you did you would know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you had a chance to spend a Saturday with THE Nievars watching college football and yelling at the tv trying to will Pittsburg to beat Notre Dame you would. Or if you were lucky enough to spend a two and a half hour meal with THE Hagedorns listening to them going back and forth trying to keep up and get some of the worst service ever you'd know. Or spend an evening with THE hoopers eating homemade tacos talking about books and movies and cutting a new demo in the studio you would. Or is you had the chance to have a few too many beers and crash at THE Merrells and get the chance to see them lovingly go back and forth with each other you would know just what I'm talking about.

And I just want to thank these people because they seem to without even knowing they did teach me a very valuable lesson. Because as awesome as my life is now, and believe me it is and even though I do complain I'm thankful for every breath I get to take.  I have to admit to myself that I am looking forward to the time when I can become a part of a THE.  Just an entirely random thought I know, but I figured what the hell, why not share it with all of you.