Jared Van Eyken
ENG 100
Essay #2: This I Wonder
Due: 6/2/14
This I Wonder
“What do you mean we can’t go with her?” Mike asked impatiently. “Are any of you eighteen yet?” With a collection of blank stares, the EMT knew we weren't eighteen. “I’m sorry guys; the only thing I can tell you to do is call her parents and tell them what happened. And try to enjoy the rest of the concert.” How do you expect us to do that?”Amy cried. “I don’t know. It will be hard but you have to try.” The EMT said as he closed the doors to the ambulance.
As we stand there helplessly, watching the ambulance drive away, we can hear Drake in the background yelling into his mic at his audience, “Are you having a fucking good time tonight Philly!?” “Who is drunk out of their fucking minds!?” Hearing him say that, Mitch, Mike, Sarah, Amy and I stood there looking at each other with the faceless expression of what do we do now. We found a spot to sit in the middle of the concert where we could try and gather our thoughts. I only remember sitting there not really grasping reality, watching people walk by as if I was sitting there invisible and with deafening sound ringing in my ears.
About ten minutes later, Mike stands up and says “We have to call her parents and tell them what happened.” It took us about thirty minutes to try and type this text message. The massage was a long and dragged out paragraph. With it filled with I’m sorry at the end of every other sentence. After sending the message, it felt like we were waiting to be judged by fate.
As Sarah tried to suppress her tears and keep a straight voice, she slowly explained the situation we were in.
“Hi Mrs. Rohr, its Sarah, uh we are in trouble and I’m sorry to tell you this but, lacy is in the hospital.” She got too drunk at the concert and an ambulance just took her to the hospital.” “I’m really sorry,” she said hysterically crying into the phone. She stared to pace and talk and only respond with short answers until she hung up.
After the dreadful phone call we were left with the realization that we were still at this concert and with a friend in the hospital, we all sat down again debating whether or not to leave. “What should we do now?” I asked. There wasn't an immediate response as everyone one else was still trying to understand the gravity of the situation. “Should we leave?” asked Amy. “I don’t know, I don’t really want to do anything,” Mike whispered. The concert wasn't even half way over, there were few performances we were motivated to see and the rest of the night was just depressing. We decided to stay because going home now would have been almost impossible with the Philly traffic.
During Pearl Jam’s performance we stood there near the back of the crowd standing together and then someone asked if we wanted a picture. We shrugged our shoulders in unison and agreed to take the picture. As we looked at the picture our smiles didn’t really reflect the day we were having so far. It looked like we were having a good day and with that we looked at each other and enjoyed the rest of Pearl Jam’s performance.
On the way home we decided to ditch the rest of the alcohol, clean up the car and asked ourselves, why we had decided to drink before the concert. Why did we have to the stereotypical high school students thinking they were cool because we were drunk like everyone around us? If we had made a different decision, if we had decided to enjoy the concert with just ourselves and without the embrace of alcohol, I wonder if the night could have turned out.
We could be laughing at the things we saw and remembering which performances we liked the most. But instead it was a long and very silent drive home. The only thing on our mind is that our friend was in the hospital. The same question kept creeping its way back into my mind. Was it worth it? This four word question kept coming back until it became a permanent reminder of the day. It was a mental scar that I still remember and still question. Was it worth it?
ENG 100
Essay #2: This I Wonder
Due: 6/2/14
This I Wonder
“What do you mean we can’t go with her?” Mike asked impatiently. “Are any of you eighteen yet?” With a collection of blank stares, the EMT knew we weren't eighteen. “I’m sorry guys; the only thing I can tell you to do is call her parents and tell them what happened. And try to enjoy the rest of the concert.” How do you expect us to do that?”Amy cried. “I don’t know. It will be hard but you have to try.” The EMT said as he closed the doors to the ambulance.
As we stand there helplessly, watching the ambulance drive away, we can hear Drake in the background yelling into his mic at his audience, “Are you having a fucking good time tonight Philly!?” “Who is drunk out of their fucking minds!?” Hearing him say that, Mitch, Mike, Sarah, Amy and I stood there looking at each other with the faceless expression of what do we do now. We found a spot to sit in the middle of the concert where we could try and gather our thoughts. I only remember sitting there not really grasping reality, watching people walk by as if I was sitting there invisible and with deafening sound ringing in my ears.
About ten minutes later, Mike stands up and says “We have to call her parents and tell them what happened.” It took us about thirty minutes to try and type this text message. The massage was a long and dragged out paragraph. With it filled with I’m sorry at the end of every other sentence. After sending the message, it felt like we were waiting to be judged by fate.
As Sarah tried to suppress her tears and keep a straight voice, she slowly explained the situation we were in.
“Hi Mrs. Rohr, its Sarah, uh we are in trouble and I’m sorry to tell you this but, lacy is in the hospital.” She got too drunk at the concert and an ambulance just took her to the hospital.” “I’m really sorry,” she said hysterically crying into the phone. She stared to pace and talk and only respond with short answers until she hung up.
After the dreadful phone call we were left with the realization that we were still at this concert and with a friend in the hospital, we all sat down again debating whether or not to leave. “What should we do now?” I asked. There wasn't an immediate response as everyone one else was still trying to understand the gravity of the situation. “Should we leave?” asked Amy. “I don’t know, I don’t really want to do anything,” Mike whispered. The concert wasn't even half way over, there were few performances we were motivated to see and the rest of the night was just depressing. We decided to stay because going home now would have been almost impossible with the Philly traffic.
During Pearl Jam’s performance we stood there near the back of the crowd standing together and then someone asked if we wanted a picture. We shrugged our shoulders in unison and agreed to take the picture. As we looked at the picture our smiles didn’t really reflect the day we were having so far. It looked like we were having a good day and with that we looked at each other and enjoyed the rest of Pearl Jam’s performance.
On the way home we decided to ditch the rest of the alcohol, clean up the car and asked ourselves, why we had decided to drink before the concert. Why did we have to the stereotypical high school students thinking they were cool because we were drunk like everyone around us? If we had made a different decision, if we had decided to enjoy the concert with just ourselves and without the embrace of alcohol, I wonder if the night could have turned out.
We could be laughing at the things we saw and remembering which performances we liked the most. But instead it was a long and very silent drive home. The only thing on our mind is that our friend was in the hospital. The same question kept creeping its way back into my mind. Was it worth it? This four word question kept coming back until it became a permanent reminder of the day. It was a mental scar that I still remember and still question. Was it worth it?