525,600 Minutes

Damn, 2007 kind of just crept up on me. I mean, it was a long creep, 365 days to be exact, but it did just show up all the sudden. After a new year, I always find myself looking back at the year that was and comparing to other years of my life. Of course, this is an inexact science. It is impossible for me to compare years to each other. I can barely compare months. Yet, I find myself doing this, see if the year measured up. So without further adieu, here’s my synopsis of the year 2006 in the life of Matt Barnes.

The year 2006 was a fun one and for many reasons. New friends, new experiences, and new achievements just like every year should have. This year thought, I went through a gamut of emotions. Ohio State got it kicked off on a good note, beating Notre Dame in a Fiesta Bowl that I will always remember as the one that always gave me one-up on my roommates. Ohio State basketball also played a big role in the excitement of the year. How about Big Ten championships for both the men and women? Not too shabby. Oh, and then don’t forget to add the 12-0 Buckeyes this year.

But enough about the Buckeyes, how bout them Bobcats? Yea, for once, I can brag about my own university’s football team. An amazing 2-0 start quickly soured to a 2-3 meltdown. But then, Frank Solich turned into a magician, guiding the Cats to 7 straight victories and a MAC East division title. I still think I’m dreaming this one up. Trust me, this team is not good. Not good at all but give this team some credit. It takes determination to be that bad and yet win nine games. Mad props to the team, Solich and the fans that continue to believe we will beat Southern Miss and actually establish a winning program. I’m hoping but let’s just say, we’ve got a better chance of pulling out troops in Iraq than have a consistent winning football program at OU.

Things at OU were amazing this year. Ranging from my fun History of Baseball Classes to my Officiating Classes, it wasn’t the most academically challenging but who the hell cares. At work, things went smooth. I was promoted from PA to Supervisor to Student Director, all in a four month period in Intramural Sports. I was offered the Gridiron Glory host position and then not 20 minutes later, offered a position as a PreCollege advisor. Even being a tour guide had its great moments, capped by my first ever e-mail from someone on my tour, thanking me for what I did.

Let me elaborate real quick on two of those items. PreCollege (or PC2K6) quite possibly was the best experience I have ever gone through. It kind of felt like summer camp, but with alcohol and open sections lists involved. It was exciting at times, frustrating at times, and exhiliarating at times. It put me through a wide range of emotions every day. It started with a rush of a new group of students, wide-eyed and ready for their college experience, as I once was. Then, it turned into frustration and patience as the list of open classes shrunk and the tour in the hot sun was full of complaints for tired teenagers. But it always worked out in the end, when I could take a big sigh of relief every time a student signed my poster and walked out with a schedule. And the cycle began all over again. The other was Gridiron Glory. If you watched the show, you saw how great of a product it was. Yes, I said great because this year’s show was. I was privileged to be a part of that show, let alone host it. It captured high school football in Southeast Ohio amazingly and after a week of hard work making sure it went perfect, it was great to see the product go on the air and look so damn good. Not to mention all the compliments I have received from the community about the show just makes it well worth the nights at the stations until 3am. I am so glad that 2007 has both the show and PC2K7 in it because it gives a LOT to look forward too.

And then there were those surprises. Fun times watching George Mason making their Final Four run, the thrill of watching the terribly hilarious TV Movie “Bird Flu in America”, the uncovering of America’s next great teen show “Falcon Beach”, getting 5 (should’ve been 6) officials to the National Tournament, and probably the best, reconnecting with one of my best friends in preschool by going to watch the Blue Jackets beat the Red Wings. And the seats weren’t that bad.

But with highlights also comes lowlights. This year some true ones. The consistent one has been my pathetic love life. Yea, this one has been redundant but you know, Hakuna Matata. Life goes on. That was just one of many disappointments ranging from a mediocre performance at a basketball extramural tournament, the loss in the Turkey Bowl and the rather boring Halloween 2006 in Athens (slowly losing its luster). The sports teams didn’t really get me excited as the Blue Jackets and Indians failed to make the postseason (again) while the Pacers were bounced in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The two that truly stand out were my first-ever arrest and the loss of my friend’s mom. The arrest was well dumb. Shouldn’t have happened, plain and simple. The entire situation could have been prevented with a payment to AEP. But things happen and well, so do dumb decisions as this one was. I still laugh at the situation and how things ended up playing out but at the time, trust me, there was nothing comical. The disappointment seen in my friend’s faces was enough for me to want to punch myself. I felt sick in my stomach. Seeing their parents was even worse. I regret that event every day not because I got arrested, but because I roped all my friends into it as well. The other event, Mrs. Bierley’s passing, hit me even harder than the arrest. I have close connections with my friends and even their parents. So when I heard what happened, I immediately wanted to cry. I knew that she was in a better place but I’m not gonna lie, having her here was a blast and I wish she still was. She will always be missed but she will also always be remembered through her daughters, my friends.

And now, it’s time to compare. Again, an impossible feat. If I had to choose, I would honestly put this past year right up near the top. I met a TON of new friends that I hope will always have my back no matter where I go in life. I experienced things that I never thought I would such as getting arrested, hosting a football show and impacting the lives of first-year students. But above all, I achieved a lot. This is why 2006 was so nice. It started in Pensacola after a disappointing weekend for me officiating at the National Tournament. 2006 ended also in Pensacola, but this time, I was an All-American, one of the top 16 officials in the nation. That’s the kind of year it has been. Ups and downs but no matter how down it has become, it has always come back up. So now it’s time to look forward to 2007 and what it will bring. The obvious are GG2K7, PC2K7 and my 21st birthday. And no matter how bad or good 2007 is, I know that I’ll be able to look back on it when 2008 hits when I’m in New Orleans celebrating yet another new year. Life has taken me places I never thought I would go and you know, I’m sure enjoying the ride.