Memories of the past
Dedicated to Eric Mahn, Ryan O’Donnell and Alex Pollock. Happy Birthday guys
I was telling my dad the other day, that every friend group I’m in ends up resembling the three idiots.
“Peter, that must mean you’re the number one idiot!”
Although there’s some truth in what he says, thinking back I genuinely couldn’t tell you how or where I met some of my closest friends. So far, even in college, all the friends I’m making are completely by accident.
Throughout high school, me and my friends went to hell and back together. We’ve made our way through AP classes, the pandemic, and most notably Calc BC.
The first day of Junior year, my schedule was horrible. I had no friends in my classes or lunch. So at the end of the day, I walked into my counselor's office and begged her to switch me into fourth period lunch.
That second day of Junior year was a complete 180. I knew at least a few familiar faces in every class, my teachers seemed nice, I had gym at the end of the day, and I had fourth period lunch with all my friends.
My day got much better, when I walked into my seventh period Calculus class and a very familiar receding hairline. Eric turned around and immediately covered his face to hide his disbelief. I was laughing, he was cursing his luck-but we both knew we were in for an unforgettable year.
I remember the first test we ever took, I finished first and he finished second. We both gave each other the look; that was lightwork. About two weeks later, we were hanging out after school and Eric jolted up because the test scores were released. My iPad was in my backpack which was in the chair behind us. I turned around and all I heard was: “WHY THE HELL DOES IT SAY D/F!”
What an idiot! That test was so easy-is what I thought to myself. I was quickly humbled when I opened my gradebook and saw a big fat F. The funniest thing was neither of us felt lost during the test, we genuinely thought we knew what we were doing. It was like the blind leading the blind.
That was the type of friend Eric’s been for the six years I’ve known him. If I did something dumb he was either making fun of me or my accomplice. Admittedly, there were definitely times where I went too far or he went too far.
For our freshman year intramural basketball team, it was just all of our friends and we were terrible. We lost just about every game. However junior year, we got a huge free agency signing and became an actually decent squad.
I made the humble decision as head coach to start myself, and Eric came off the bench. Eric wasn’t that good at basketball at the time-in fact I wouldn’t even say he was bad. He was really just an entity on the court; a being of existence. I’ll never forget, there was one game where he got his ankles broken (he still claims to this day that his foot got stepped on), and then hit the side of the backboard on the subsequent play.
I sat him down after the game and told him; “Don’t worry about the next game, because you won’t be in it.”
More than just the dumb moments, he’s been there for me through the ups, the lows, the girls, when I got deferred from Northwestern, and when I committed to Mizzou.
If we’re the three idiots, our third would be Ryan O’Donnell. Where do I even begin with this guy? I couldn’t even tell you where I met him (actually I could but my mom reads these articles), one day he was there and ever since he’s been in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful. Every sleepover, party, and hangout at his house has been unforgettable.
I remember at one of his sleepovers, I left this replica 90’s bulls championship hat at his house over the summer before junior year. After calls, reminders, missed alarms, and much much pestering, on March 9th, 2023, he finally remembered to bring it to school and give it to me.
A couple months later however, he was moving out so he threw one last sleepover for old times sake. It was unforgettable, not because we went off the rails or because anything crazy happened, but because we understood that it symbolized the end of an era. We all understood that after this, we’d go off to college, and these types of innocent but stupid nights would be in the past. With that in mind, we all had the time of our lives.
We made plans to swim in his pool late at night, but I forgot my swimming trunks-however that didn’t stop me. We all had a good time that night because it was going to be the last one like that for a long, long, time.
Unfortunately, I left the hat at his house again and then he moved…so it’s safe to say me and that hat just weren’t meant to be.
Unlike my hat, Alex Pollock just seems like someone who was meant to be in my life. Through every situation that seemed so impossibly out of my control, he’s been a text message away-even now as I adjust to college.
I will never forget the advice and help he’s given me; whether it was managing new responsibilities on the debate team, family circumstances, girl problems, stress about grades, more girl problems, or even girl problems-he’s been there for my every low and celebrated with me at my every success.
I remember one of the first sleepovers at my house he was there for, poor Eric got roped into a tradition he’s yet to get out of. Eric was sleeping comfortably at about 2 a.m., when he heard an assortment of snickering and laughing.
“Guys who should we spray?”
“Let’s spray Peter.”
“Na, let's spray Eric.”
The next thing Eric knew, he was dosed in my Axe body spray by none other than Alex. Him and one of my other friends had gone through my stuff looking for something to prank Eric with.
The smell was so pungent we had to migrate to the living room for the night. Eric must’ve taken three showers trying to get rid of the smell.
After he was done with his 9-5 job of being a goofball, he was constantly working. Alex is one of the reasons I stuck with debate, and I could never really thank him enough for that because it ended up becoming a huge part of my life.
I remember, somewhere in junior year, I was talking with a friend when I saw him walking towards me with his iconic devious smile. I already knew he did something stupid.
“Peter guess what I did!” Alex said.
Whenever he says this, it can range from crimes against humanity to getting a crazy coupon for Taco Bell.
Well this time, he purposefully divided the room assignments for the Public Forum with all the girls in one room and all the guys in the other. It was dumb, but I couldn’t stop laughing for the entire meeting.
As much fun as Alex had with debate, he took it seriously for the most part. I remember hearing about all the research he would do, the long hours he’d spend working, and being incredibly astonished. This passion he had rubbed off on me when I became a research coordinator my senior year.
I remember the first research packet I had, half of my research group switched to PF, and then the other half just didn’t submit anything by the deadline; so I had to do the entire thing by myself.
Now a lucky guess would tell you, none other than Alex was there every step of the way helping me. I got it done, after taking a day off from school and working hours on end over the weekend. Looking back, Alex’s commitment pushed me, and I’m grateful to fate for giving me someone like that in my life.
Sometimes I just sit back and reminisce on all the memories but I know those memories in the past will be there in the future. Having the comfort of knowing the good times aren’t over is special.
As we all embark on our new journeys, we’re absent in presence but together in spirit. We’re all out chasing our dreams, but we know back at home during the breaks the ones who’ve been there for us will be waiting. The good times that have passed will make an appearance once again.
Being away from all my friends was hard at first. Going to a school like Mizzou where I knew no one heading into the start of the year, I was a little worried about finding friends. Once again though, I’ve found myself with friends all across campus and I legitimately couldn’t tell you how I did it. They say that you’ll find your people, well I must’ve gotten lucky because my people got impatient and went looking for me.
I urge the readers of this memoir to let the people who’ve been there for every mild inconvenience-or even major ones-that you’re thankful for their presence. Whether that be family or friends, know that without them we wouldn’t be in the place we are now. You only get a few day ones, so make sure you take care of them so they’re there for the last one.
