manic monday

Slowly, I do my very best to separate my dreams from reality as my obnoxious phone alarm goes off for the third time at 8:45. This Sprint auto-tune ringtone echoes like background music in an epic fight scene as I wage war with my exhausted body; these moments are the climax of the hardest part of my day.

Once stabilizing my pitiful, sleepless mind, I stumble my way to the bathroom where I am greeted by the rank smell of the urine I forgot to flush down last night. My roommate will be up before I return from class, so my decision is to add to the reeking toilet without flushing. Immediately after removing my retainer, I meticulously brush and rinse it. This extreme discipline juxtaposed alongside my uncontrollable laziness is truly astounding to see. From here I grab a neatly folded shirt and throw it on my filthy body, which reeks of dried sweat. Looking at the clock, I see that I have only 15 minutes before my teacher takes attendance. No time for anything.

Ignoring, and failing to acknowledge the existence of, my other roommate watching Sportscenter, I grab my trademark Sunbelt chewy Chocolate Chip granola bar and quickly race out the door. Jumping in my car, I am sure to take off my flip-flops despite the brevity of my drive. Before I get going, almost out of requirement, I take a minute to make my music selection from my iPod. Bill Simmons’ “B.S. Report” podcast emerges from the catalog of 7,000 songs. Weaving my way through traffic I speed to each light, racing under them as they turn yellow.

After parking on the Copeland garage’s top level, I put in my earphones and walk to class. With only 5 minutes left before class begins, it’s unlikely I can make it without running. But I walk. For whatever reason, I refuse to run on campus. My phone reads 9:06 as I walk into class, one minute late. The teacher has already begun the lecture, but my optimism tells me I evaded a tardy. Sitting down, I open up my laptop; it’s time to tweet.

face to face with my pillowcase

Often the smallest things in our past can leave the largest imprints on our lives. However, recognizing the impact of these objects and moments presents the toughest challenge, but can produce enlightenment and realizations of the highest caliber. This is not far off from Rebecca McClanahan’s claims that, “The most common things can yield startling surprises when we give our attention to them.” In examining my own past, I have discovered this to be very true. The Miami Dolphins pillowcase I rest my head on each night, lying only inches from my heart, supports my deepest and most sincere thoughts, dreams, and imagination.

            Hardly older than 10 years old when my mother sewed together the threads and seams of this fabric sack, I was just a little boy slowly discovering a passion for sports. As I would continue to grow in age, so too would my love for the Miami Dolphins. The connection to this professional football franchise has become amongst the deepest secular passions in my life. Of course, while this alone carries significant implications in my life, much more than my NFL fan hood is encapsulated in between my comforter and mattress.

            It’s not much to look at, really. The vibrant teal and orange, which once attracted even the laziest of eyes, has faded noticeably. Full disclosure, the soft cotton fabric has probably absorbed more of my saliva than anything else on this planet. Yet where has it traveled? My pillowcase has accompanied me to a four star hotel in New York City, inside a snow-covered log cabin in the Rocky Mountains, on the top of a musty cot in the Big Easy, and everywhere in between. By my side and closer to me than any other, it has been everything I had hoped for and far more. There have been few journeys I have taken without my pillowcase. Still, beyond being with me for all my greatest adventures, it has played a more meaningful role.

            With only a few exceptions, every night for more than 8 years I have laid my head down upon this pillowcase and let my mind drift away into my dreams. Oh the many things I have dreamt while sleeping soundly on these soft fabrics! More than anything else, my Dolphins pillowcase has been the gateway to my uncontrolled imagination and carried me through the emotional rollercoaster of life. When I had nothing else to cling to, I held on to my dreams. Some were produced by sleepless nights staring at the ceiling; others my clustered brain mixing thoughts together like a mad scientist. However they came about, they helped lead me to where I am today. And as I move forward, I continue to dream about what my future holds. With every new day I anticipate wild, unpredictable dreams leading to an awesome, unexpected future.

            I know not when I will sleep my last night with my pillowcase. Perhaps something will damage it beyond repair. Perhaps I will lose it. Perhaps my future wife will tell me it has to go. When that day comes, it will be a sad one. Forever, that humble, teal sheet of cotton will be tied to my youth. But for now, I will get ready for bed; it’s almost time to go to sleep.