525,600 Minutes

          I know, I know, I know what you all must be thinking. Desta, we've been sitting on the edge of our ergonomically designed computer chairs for months now just waiting for your next tantalizing update and you've been holding out on us. To all of you I must apologize. I'm not sure if I've adequately expressed it, but it turns out medical school is more than the average amount of work. As I plowed through midterms and then finals and rounded out my first year, I found myself with an extreme aversion to any and all things that even remotely resembled work and it seems blogging fell under that rather large umbrella. But fear not, all is right in the world... I'm back.

My brother is right. Prepare for the Golden take
over of the Millbrook High School alumni choir

          I recently received an invitation to a Facebook group. The group informed me that the high school from which I had been a part of the inaugural graduating class, would be entering its tenth year in existence and the choir director had a vision to assemble an alumni choir that consisted of members from that past ten years for a special performance. Aside from the wholly unoriginal "has it really been 10 years already" thoughts, the group elicited a few nostalgic memories. In particular, I recalled a song from the broadway musical Rent which we performed in competition and that I still find myself humming on occassion and belting in the shower. (From what I can gather, my neighbors appreciate the daily free concerts.)


          The song, Seasons of Love, expresses the myriad of ways a person can measure the length of a year. As I've recently hit the one year mark in my Portland life, I've reflected on all the ways I could possibly measure my last 525,600 minutes. It could be measured in classes attended, tests taken, and sleep lost... friendships forged, laughter shared, and tears shed... or even beets roasted, quinoa prepared, and urban farmed, better than organic, backyard chicken eggs collected. No doubt about it, this was a big year for me. But I must admit that whoever was responsible for the writing of Rent and its music got it right: my year is probably most appropriately measured in seasons of love. I love what I'm doing, I love the people I'm doing it with, and I especially love all the people in my life who've supported and encouraged me every step of the way.

          You know how everyone always says that a year seems so long but goes by so fast? Well in regard to this past year I would have to respectfully disagree. It was the longest, most challenging year of my life in every aspect and I earned every single minute of it... all 525,600.

 

Seasons Of Love
Songwriters: Larson, Jonathan D;
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?

How about love?
Measure in love

Seasons of love
Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died

It's time now, to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends

Remember the love
(Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love)
Remember the love
(You know that life is a gift from up above)
Remember the love
(Share love, give love, spread love)
Measure in love
(Measure, measure your life in love)

Seasons of love
Seasons of love
(Measure your life, measure you life in love)