Today is my birthday. Even though it's my 29th birthday celebration, it's also the day I celebrate my survival of the 24th or 25th celebration. You'll soon understand why I can't remember. I'm not sure how many people know what happened, so I'll divulge that day's events now.
I was living in South Bend at the time, on hiatus from Ball State. I got some time off to come back to Muncie to meet with an adviser so I could return to classes in the fall. I planned to come to take care of business as well as celebrate my birthday.
While I was in town, I stayed with a friend of mine that lived close to campus at 100 N. College Ave. Last time I checked it is the three- or four-story, white apartment building just south of the Academy - a perfect location if you are attending classes at Ball State and also want to drink every night in the Village.
So we started out the day by hitting some bars around the Village. We soon heard rumors that Circle Limit IV was playing that night at a house party just down the alley from where I was staying. It sounded like the perfect location from which to stumble home, so we headed over.
We arrived around 10 and the house was packed with kegs and people. The kitchen housed the kegs, and there were plenty of people standing around to help out with the keg stands. They cleared out the dining room, and set up the band there.
A few hours of drinking and moshing later, I walked a friend back to her car. At this point I had to make a decision. Should I go home, realizing I had enough to drink, or should I go back to the party? Playing the role of the typical Ball State student, I opted to go back to the party.
Once back at the party, I was forced into doing a keg stand. Forced in this sense does not mean peer pressured. When I stepped up to a keg for another beer, two people grabbed my arms, two grabbed my legs, and one put the tap in my mouth.
After the keg stand and a few more beers, somehow it leaked out that it was my birthday. The band caught wind and next thing you know they are singing "Happy Birthday" to me and the rest of the party got involved. We celebrated with a few more beers before heading back to the apartment.
Once home, I remembered I had walked a drunken friend to her car. Thinking she was too drunk to drive home, I leaned out the window to see if her car was still in the parking lot.
Then I fell.
On most apartment buildings that have basement apartments, there is a concrete wall around the window to keep water from flooding in. This is what broke my fall (and nearly my head, shoulder and collar bone.) My legs landed after me, knocking in the screen on the basement window.
I heard some screams and expletives as I tried to climb out to the parking lot. I attributed them to people recently awakened by my knocking out the screen in their window. The concussion overcame me as my world started to spin, I became weak and I collapsed half in/half out of the window.
My buddy woke me around 7 a.m.
I was lying on his apartment floor, very sore and still very drunk. Neither of us had any idea how I got there. I took a shower, washed the blood from my scalp and walked to campus for my meeting.
So, every birthday since, I celebrate quietly about how I survived my 24th or 25th birthday, although I can never remember which birthday it was.
Write to Aaron at rantinrex@hotmail.com
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
