From Books to Band by Libby M.

This world is entirely made up of things; things of low value, things of high value, but there are things that are so valuable there can be no price put on them. How do we know what something is worth? How do we know if it is priceless? Or is value just another abstract concept?

現在有所不同

Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I love being able to open a piece of literature and travel into someone else’s life, world, and situation. Every night before I go to sleep, I pick up a book and read until I get too tired to understand the words passing before my eyes.

Books have turned some of my worst days into some of my favorite days. I travel into someone else’s mind and see that their problems are worse than mine. I travel with my new friend as I help solve their problem, simultaneously calming and soothing myself. After reading a good book I can fix my own troubles with a sounder mindset and softer outlook.

I remember when I was younger my family didn’t have much. I would go to the library and live in a place where I wasn’t always hungry and my clothes were in better shape. People who don’t read are missing so much. For the first several years of my life books were the only way I could get everything I needed like friends and happiness. The release I got from living someone else’s life kept me from giving up when we lived in such hard times.

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The football game the night before had been all right but this was what we had been working for. All the practices, all the running, everything we had done was just for this one day. You maybe thinking we’re on a sports team. I suppose you’re right, but not the way you were thinking. We are the South Hadley TigerPride Marching Band.

It was November 4, 2006. It was USSBA Championship Marching Band Finals. We’d had a great season, but it all came down to this. The six-hour bus ride down to Allentown, PA had been boring but most of us either slept or practiced our music.

I was in the pit percussion ensemble and was pushing my vibraphone down the sidelines of the massive J. Burney Crum Football Stadium. I could see Ryan and Billy Ray with the marimbas ahead of me and could hear Rose with the auxiliary cart behind me. Mr. Wardwell was with the winds and battery and I almost envied them but was too nervous about my own show. Imagine a normal football field. Then, behind it, erect a 4 story seating area. On top of that put concession stands and fill it all up with people. You would probably be nervous, too.

The group before us finished their show and Iris tapped off the cadence. That song always filled me up with pride. It was our song and they played it with absolute perfection. The band stepped off and the pit crew rushed to help us set up our equipment on the field. Jake stepped on to the podium and…

We quickly put everything back onto carts and pushed everything off the field. We marched back to our King Ward bus and changed out of our uniforms. I glumly trudged back to the stands to watch the bands after us. We were going to be there awhile.

Finally, it was time for the awards. Jake and Maggie stepped up to the sideline with Kayla and we roared. We were proud of our performance and were ready for what ever we got. First, they gave out honorary mentions.

“These are the groups that were too bad to place,” Lindsey leaned over and muttered into my ear. There was an audible sigh. We made it through. Next they called out 8 places. Of the 8 groups they were about the call, 3 started with “south” and 6 started with an “s.” Picture it, a group of about 40 high school students and 2 middle school students as tense as they could get, jumping every time the announcer said a word that started with an “s” sound.

“In second place with best percussion and a score of 90.875… South Hadley TigerPride Marching Band!” We don’t even know who won 1^st. All you could hear were our screams, cries, and catcalls.

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I can sell my books. I could never ever trade the feelings I felt when they announced our band to the stadium, though. That doesn’t mean they can’t be priceless. But, when was the last time you saw a competition memory for sale? I value that more then you could know. I feel like I belong when I open a book or look back on that experience or others I have had with the band.

There are lots of things of value out there. There are plenty of things that are so valuable they are priceless. We all have things we love and cherish that can be sold. You can’t sell a memory but don’t even try to tell me that our past is worthless. Everything has a value. You just have to find what is valuable to you.