I Want to be a Rockstar!
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
The weekend had been a rocky point in Collette’s journey. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and even a good deal of Monday had been very difficult in various respects. Collette found that even through such hard points, God was reminding her that her faith was the only thing she truly had. Nothing else honestly mattered, compared to it. If she had her faith, that was all she needed. And she was thankful for His way of opening her eyes more fully to that fact over those several particularly difficult days. But He had tempered that time as well, allowing good talks with OLeif through the weekend and several good talks with Mom, especially one on Sunday morning before the sermon, walking through the halls of Saeger Middle School.
But through it all, many good things had come. Friday evening at Shepherd’s and Malaya’s rehearsal dinner, all had been good and peaceful and lovely. Mr. and Mrs. Grape and Malaya’s elderly yet spry uncle from Tennessee were all very kind. And Catalina was there for her eighth consecutive weekend back from Tennessee herself where she was going to school. As of that weekend, she hadn’t yet spent one down in the good old south without having to return for some event in Saint Louis.
The evening was warm and subtle, inviting in a way. It felt somewhat like a small reunion of old friends, and the calzones and pizzas were shared before “woochie” and “smoochie” (the lovely couple) briefed the wedding party on their cues. Afterward, OLeif and Collette (followed later by Catalina) hurried behind Mercy to Picasso’s coffee house to see Bob, Jr., sing and play keyboard (as bass wasn’t allowed) in the band. It was a good evening altogether.
Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong had won his seventh and last Tour de France – a wonderful piece of news. And the space shuttle Discovery lifted off hitting only a bird on Tuesday morning.
Skipping most of the weekend, as Collette rather forgot most of it in retrospect, Carrie (while OLeif and Collette were at the wedding) and Elizabeth, found a new crush at “The Bravery” concert downtown. Carrie picked up Collette that Monday morning clutching a drumstick in one hand and smiling her big grin – the grin that only Carrie could smile.
All the way home she ranted and raved about the main dude of the band – “Sam” – with a haircut wilder than Elvis’. Mom was convinced his black do, looked like a rooster tail.
“Oh,” Carrie sighed. “Collette, it was just the best experience of my life, ever! We were right in the front, right there, in front of him. He was this close!” She put her hand in front of her face. “This close!” She emphasized the closeness with her hands once again. “We could have pulled his hair, he was so close!”
She then showed off her drumstick, proudly.
“Elizabeth and I were walking out of there together, both clutching the drumstick between us. And Elizabeth was just screaming when he walked out on stage…” (Sigh…) “We’re gonna be rockstars!”
At home, Carrie continued this idea by painting her nails bright red.
“Does this look rocker?” She asked, shining them in front of Collette’s face.
Collette agreed they did look rocker, either that, or 1940’s. All day Carrie lamented about her dream of becoming a rock star. Although Collette laughed, knowing that this phase would pass, as the others.
At one point, Carrie did bring out her box of hair dyes and tonics.
“That’s it, Collette. I’m going black hair now.”
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Collette whisked the box away from her, laughing. “No way. You’re just on a high from the concert.”
“Oh, please!” Carrie laughed, grabbing after the box.
But Collette hid the box under the kitchen sink and Carrie got back to writing her papers.
There was something beyond peaceful, knowing that God was in control of all circumstances, whatever came to pass – no matter how frightening, terrifying, frustrating, grief-filled, or even wonderfully happy. Everything that occurred was set down in His plan from before the beginning of time and there was great comfort in the knowledge that whatever came to pass, He was guiding it all, guiding the universe, the space shuttle Discovery above the earth, each country, king, and town… even just the minuscule tasks and thoughts from the mind of Collette Silverspoon. Nothing was outside His control or His plan. It was a thing of great peace to know this, to believe it. There was never cause to fear anything.
Six Flags was canceled for the day because of the excessive heat. And Carrie had a date with Elizabeth to apply at Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores that day.
So the rest headed over to Grandma Combs’ to swim and hang around inside during the lazy heat of the afternoon. Collette dozed in the television room while they were down at the pool. Grandma chased them around in the water. And upon return, Rose read the Idiot’s Guide to beautiful skin. And they all swapped stories over chili and sandwiches at the lunch table. It was a wonderfully good afternoon to spend in such a way.
And that very same evening OLeif, Collette, Joe, Rose, and Francis went to pick up the new sea green Honda Accord from the pleasant old man in the 1950’s house near the Loop.
Carrie was also excited, having just bought an incredible leather jacket, embossed, rhinestoned, and rock-starred, with several cool new rings. She also walked out to see their “sweet new ride” with Linnea’s pirate hat on her head. It had been an early birthday gift from Grandma Combs – a spectacular hat for a seven-year old.
That night after OLeif and Collette left for home, Mom and Carrie went up to run at the track in the cool winds of the late evening and arrived back at home just before the torrential rainstorm.
Wednesday, Carrie took Francis and Linnea to Six Flags with Diana, Tor, Age, and Eleda while Mom and Rose picked up Collette as Rose needed a tetanus shot for the mission trip.
Afterward, they walked leisurely around the grocery store selecting healthy foods and other more tasty foods for Tennessee and Joe back at home, who were working out, playing World War II computer games, and cleaning out Tennessee’s car (the old OLeif-mobile, as Magnus affectionately called it).
After lunch and a viewing of “Pride and Prejudice” (the first hour and a half), Mom and Collette spent several times outside on the back swing in the cool fall-like weather of the afternoon. The cool breezes… peace.
Then it was to drop Rose off with the Englishs, where she and Annamaria were going to present the Wordless Book at the Saint Charles County Fair.
Then Dad arrived home and they met with OLeif at Culver’s for a good dinner and talks.
Late that night, Mom, Carrie, and Joe, picked up Rose from the fair and stayed up talking till midnight.
On Thursday at work, Ivy and Collette were both rather swamped with projects. But Ivy had good things to say about the time they shared with her brother. And there were always thoughts and stories to share. She recalled how in the summers, she and Megan used to drop by the fuel station for a Coca-Cola slurpie and maybe some soy nuts, and then go to a park and do their Bible study together. It was nice to think of such good get-togethers like that. Collette had long-wished she could have get-togethers for all the people in their lives for theology and philosophy discussions, discussions and thoughts in general, coffee, cards, just life together… a community where they would meet whenever they could in the evenings… She had a good many thoughts on such things – a coffee house, think-tank, “The Village” like setting.
And Carrie was still in agonies of euphoria over her recent encounter with “Sam” of The Bravery.
“Oh! Those Elvis grimaces!” She would exclaim. “He even wore Brute cologne, like Elvis. Hmmm hmmm… He’s just the hottest thing to ever hit the planet!”
Meanwhile, she wanted to have “fearless” tattooed in Hebrew on her arm. Collette wondered what she would think of such a thing when she was 90. She also encouraged her to consider going back-packing with Diana in Europe that coming May for three weeks.
Then Carrie and Rose whisked off to Walgreens for a blond highlighting kit while Mom settled down to recover from a headache before going to an evening showing of “War of the Worlds” with Dad who was reading “Dave Dawson” to the little kids after Mom read “Prince Caspian” to them. Joe was off at Scouts while OLeif was meeting with Mr. Stallone over computer questions. It was a pleasant evening, cool enough to wear long sleeves. And Collette was just happy to be feeling well and enjoying everyone going about their enjoyments of the day.