B’s Risk Taking Chapter 4—Ten Things Everyone Should Experience—Part II

Well I suppose by now most of you reading this blog know that it is part two in a short mini series I had to develop due to the length of each of the blogs. I honestly meant to sit down and write this part two weeks ago, but to be honest school, and admittedly basketball have been getting the better of me lately. Basketball workouts keep getting harder and harder, but I suppose that is the life of a college athlete. School on the other hand is a joke. In a schedule that should be a cake walk for me; I am having trouble finding the time to do all of my assignments.



My schedule consists of:


Golf 101

Acting for Non-Majors

Education- Learning Disabilities in the Classroom

Crime Scene Investigations

Early Republic

Enterprise and Progressivism



If you can’t tell, I’m being slightly sarcastic when I say my workload is too much. However, I actually did have a productive weekend in which I did more homework than I did drinking, so cheers to me! I really just needed some time to myself for a bit with no writing, no homework, no partying for a change and reflect on some things in my life. Those things will come in a later blog I’m sure. But this blog, as you probably already know will consist of the final 5 things that everyone should try to do at some point in their lives.



I’m going to interrupt this portion of the blog to tell you briefly about my weekend with my good friend Steve Gansey. Steve not only is one of my best friends, but also my former roommate, who basically I owe full credit to starting my crazy college life. This weekend he showed up on Friday and he, Tyler, and I had a wild Friday. We went to the Japanese Steakhouse (SAKI SAKI SAKI), and then ventured to Bullshooters, our favorite bar in Ashland. It’s always a good time when Mr. Gansey comes to town.



Though this weekend was fun, it’s been brought to my attention by one of my more, shall I say ancient (GASP!!) I’m only teasing; I’ll go with slightly older friends that sometimes, while funny, it is boring to read solely about my drinking binges. I gave it some thought, and came to the conclusion that sometimes it’s boring to write about my drinking mishaps. But hey, I’m in college and that’s my life. However, in this edition of my blog you won’t be brought to boredom with any of my drunken escapades over the years of my life. Hopefully you all enjoy!!


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And so we continue at:

#5. Go to an Ohio State Football Game

Well I suppose this appears for obvious reasons. What kind of person could live in Ohio and not think that this is one of the best things to do in our state, unless of course you are from that shithole of a northwest corner we call Toledo and enjoy being a Michigan fan. All that aside, Ohio State Football games are incomparable to other athletic contests held within our state, and probably most states in the Union (Yes, I said Union, not Confederacy for all of you Southern people who still think you indeed won the “War of Northern Aggression. Get over it, I’m tired of hearing you’re bull shit in my history class! Fuckin’ Ashbrook Scholars.) Where else in the world can you go to a tailgate party with about 250,000 people all ready to walk into a stadium where they just know that their team is going to win. Rarely does Ohio State ever lose at Ohio Stadium, unless of course they are playing a high ranked team, especially in the last few years. But nonetheless the game is something you truly have to experience. The chills you get on the back of your neck when the band comes through the tunnel and the little crazy conductor dude with the feather on his hat (drawing a blank as to what he’s actually called) runs out to the 50 yard line, bends further backwards than any male should be able do and pokes his little feather into the ground. Then of course you get Script Ohio, arguably one of the greatest traditions, if not the greatest in all of sports. The excitement as it finishes and the tuba player takes off high stepping to dot the ‘I’ is an experience you have to live through. Then you have the game itself. 107,000 people all screaming their hearts out is enough to make the hairs on your neck stand for the duration of the game. The thundering bell that comes about during third downs that uniformly brings all in attendance to their feet is awesome. Then you have the singing of Carmen Ohio at the end of the game by the team, band, and all left in attendance. However, all of that can be attributed to a normal football game, it just the experience of being in Columbus for the game that one has to live through. The best game of all to go to in Columbus is without a doubt the Michigan game. The Ohio State v. Michigan rivalry is undoubtedly the best in sports, I refuse to take on any arguments stating otherwise, because you have to witness the hatred between the fans and players first hand to truly understand the rivalry. On game day in Columbus, if you show up wearing maize and blue, you better bring an umbrella, or you will be going home with more beer on your clothes than you were able to throw into your stomach. Not to mention the profanity, crude gestures, and other insults you will take throughout your day. I strongly recommend to anyone, even if you are not a fan that you make it to an Ohio State game at some point in your life, you will not leave disappointed, well unless of course you are a Michigan fan. But please.. Michigan fans you are more than welcome, I’d love to pour some beer on you!

#4. Road Trip with a Friend

Okay.. all of you out that there that actually know me, (which to be honest according to the reports I heard this weekend about all the people out there reading my blog, might not be that many of you), know that I love to have a great time. What better way to do this than to take a road trip with your friends. Now I’m not talking about a little girly road trip that chicks take to the mall to buy the latest pair of stilettos, I’m talking about an epic road trip I’m sure most of you have never been on. I’m talking about the kind of a road trip where you and your buddies get together, rent an RV, gather up all of the necessities for a great trip, (beer, and money for strippers) and hit the road. I’ll be honest, never have I taken a trip of this magnitude, but I can tell you one is coming this summer. It is already in the works to get the RV and drive to Seattle to visit my buddy. Other road trips will also work. An RV is just a bonus. As most of you know my recent trip to Philadelphia was sort of the type of road trip I am talking about. Not only do you get to find out about all of the shit that’s been on your friend’s mind for the last 22 years, but you also get to have an epic adventure, without worrying about what the people around you are thinking. I realize this is short, but do recognize the comedy in taking one of these road trips, you really have to do so by experiencing it. You can’t write that shit.

#3. Take a Real Family Vacation

I fully realize that this sounds like probably the lamest item on the list. But let me assure you, a family vacation can be one of the best experiences of your life. There is just something about an entire family getting together that provides instant comedy. I’ll tell you about my favorite family vacations, though it’s not very funny, I think about some of the stuff and just laugh at random moments in my life. My mother, father, brother, and I went to visit Florida Tech (my brother’s college) his junior year in high school, I believe I was a seventh grader. We were in Florida for two weeks, one of them in Clearwater, and one of them in Cocoa Beach near the school. We stayed at this nice hotel that had a Denny’s attached to it (I’m really not lying; I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but it was a nice hotel with a Denny’s attached). My dad thought it was necessary to eat virtually every meal for a week at this Denny’s. Never in my life will I again have any craving whatsoever for Denny’s. The next thing I remember from this vacation is the sun burn I got and the shit I took from my family for it. I was burnt to a fucking crisp. I couldn’t even put a shirt on, and as I wake up in the morning my family decides it is a wonderful day to go to Disney. FML. Not only was I miserable the whole day, but I had to walk around Disney in 98 degree weather again getting baked like a Thanksgiving Turkey in late November. However, while these memories serve me well, the best part about a family vacation is the traveling. My family has flown several times, but that doesn’t even compare to a car ride. If you know anything about my family, my dad is hilarious, I like to think I am equally as funny, my brother is really quiet (like never speaks), and my mom somehow manages to put up with all of us. However get us all in a car and it creates an interesting environment. My mom usually ends up taking the majority of jokes from my dad and myself, and my brother sits there and laughs until I pick on him long enough to make him finally burst out and hit me. Moments like these are something that I will never forget, and I look forward to taking many more vacations with my family, and hopefully my own family in the future. (Assuming I can con some girl into settling down with me.) Family bonding is something that is often underappreciated and taken for granted, so anytime you can have a chance at taking your family vacations I suggest you jump at the opportunity.

Okay.. I’ve put a lot of thought into #2 and #1 and they actually coincide, so I decided to combine them into one paragraph. They are as follows:

#2. Fall in Love and Have it Fail.
#1. Fall in Love and Have it Work.

Well initial thoughts.. “Man.. that’s fucked up.” And “Man.. that’s corny.” Let me tell you, for the most part I agree on all accounts. However, these are two of the most important things someone needs to go through in life. My friend Tyler is gonna put me on blast for this but he claims this to be the best pick up line he’s ever used.

Him..”Have you ever been in love?”
Her..”I think.”
Him..“What is love?”
Her..“What?”
Him..”Like how do you define love?”
Her.. “Some typical bullshit cliché answer.”
Him..”No.. How do you love your mom? Okay.. Well when you finally find someone that you feel the same about as you do your mom, then you are in love and know you are ready to settle down.”

Okay.. Personally I think this is the worst idea ever (not to mention the WORST pickup line.. but he claims it works) Haha. I feel like if I ever go to the point with a girl that I felt like she was my mom, I would never again be able to sleep with her, not that that’s what love is about, but eventually it would come in a relationship, assuming it went that far. But nonetheless, I used this example of Tyler to show that, everyone has their own definition of love.

My theory on the entire thing is that you have to legitimately fall in love at least twice in your life to find one that will truly workout for you. Trust me, I realize you’re probably sitting there thinking “Why would I want to fall in love and get my heart broken?” Well here is why. Unless you truly fall in love and have it fail, then you don’t know how great it can be. Once you fall in love and have it blow up in your face, then you can realize what it means, and appreciate why you want it to work out for you.

Finally, once you get lucky enough to find that love that “works” for you, you truly will not want to fuck up and let it get away from you. I think often times people rush into these relationships and marriages without truly recognizing what love is, and then six months down the road they crash, and then what the fuck do you do? So my advice to you, don’t worry if you get in a relationship, fall in deeper than you ever have, and see it all go away, because it will truly make you appreciate everything love has to offer.

Okay, so I guess I completed the list, thanks a ton for your patience with me, I realize it took forever for the second edition to come out, but trust me in the coming days I’ll be hitting you all up with the Homecoming Weekend at Ashland University Blog.

Until Then.. Much Love,

B