Conor - Priorities

1. Ultimate Frisbee?
2. Playing in a band?
3. Comedy group/films?
4. Classes?
5. Meeting peoples?

Priorities have always been an issue for me.

I don't fully understand what is and is not important. Or I do, but my beliefs are much different than the generally accepted
view.

In high school I constantly found myself doing things I didn't particularly want to and I didn't really need to because I thought it'd be good for me and because I can't say no to people. I think these things actually did pan out. I played piano for several events due to my inability to refuse, many of which I was totally unqualified to play. I got better due to these situations, and I learned how to accompany musicals and singers. So even though I didn't enjoy working on a lot of those things, I don't regret doing it and the time I spent on those projects. It helped me just as much as it helped them. However there are like a million things I would have rather been doing at the time.

I love comedy. Improv was the best thing I did in Springfield. It's where a lot of my best friends are from, and every single hour I spent there was worth it. Every single minute spent getting crabby at improv sleepovers was worth its metaphorical weight in gold. The thrill that comes from going out on stage unsure of what you'll find yourself doing the next minute is simply awesome. My favorite part of improv was, somewhat ironically, writing the ple-planned material. I think that's what I'm most interested in. One of my fondest improv memories is going to snobizz one day with Tynan, the two of us deciding that we needed another skit in the upcoming show, and then spending the rest of the day brainstorming and writing a scene. We said "we need one more" and then sat down and talked until we had one. The fact that we could do that together was really cool to me. High five Tynan.

I love music. I love playing music with people. I love Band Practice. Band Practice was the coolest musical group I've ever been a part of. Throwing a gig together at the last second with Band Practice and rehearsing all day in the hopes that we wouldn't sound super shitty come performance time was always a blast, and the payoff of performing our own original music in front of a somewhat attentive audience was always huge. I've talked about this in the past, but it bears repeating. We be fresh 2 death.

I have the opportunity to do the things I want here. That's something I've really realized in the few weeks I've been in Oklahoma. A lot of you guys know that my number one school was The University of Miami. I felt like the music school there was perfect. They had very contemporary songwriting programs that I felt good about, but financially it didn't work out. That bothered me for a really long time, but it doesn't bother me anymore, at least not as much. Because if I work hard, I can do what I want here. I don't have the sketch comedy show here that Miami had, but I can make one. I can start one. I can do it if I try.

But that requires prioritizing.

I've been playing Ultimate Frisbee pretty non-stop here. I love it. I'm getting better at it. Every day I head out there I get a little better. I'm still miles behind everybody else, but it's a lot of fun and I love the people. They're all upperclassmen, but they're the most inviting people I've ran into here. Their house is a dirty, dirty place of friendship and wonder. I like it.

I have a friend, Max, who I'm going to film sketch comedy videos with. He's pretty hysterical. I don't understand his humor, I can't compare it to anyone else I know. Which is good. HE'S NOT REPLACING ANYONE. We're doing films and music together. He has an awesome taste in music. So he represents my future hopes for doing comedy and film.

I have homework to do and music to practice.

I need to meet people.

I want everything and I know I can't have everything all the time, but here at OU I'm trying. Eventually I'll fail in my attempts, or I'll find out what's really, really important to me. I'm scared and excited for this day. Until then I'll keep trying.