Dear UW, All my Love
[Lyrics by Eric Church, Like A Wrecking Ball]
I, I been gone, I been gone too long singing my songs on the road. I spent the first night of freshman orientation in my mom’s hotel room, violently throwing up the Washakie food from dinner. I took it as a sign that UW was wrong for me, and I seriously considered not going.
Another town,
I went anyway.
One more show, and I’m coming home.
I made some friends. I started dating the cute guy from my orientation group. My classes were kind of boring.
Don’t give a damn what these keys are for,
Some friends and I decided to start Real Women, Real Bodies to promote positive body image. We started an RSO and hung up silhouettes of nude women around campus. I’m gonna knock down that front door, and
I confronted my boyfriend about his lack of eating or leaving his room for weeks on end. I called his parents and told them he was suffering from depression, then passed the phone off to him to talk to them. I called another friend’s parents weeks later and told them the same thing, but she hated me for it.
I’ma find out what that house is made of.
The boyfriend and I broke up over the summer and he did not return to UW sophomore year. My best friend got pregnant and didn’t come back so she could raise her daughter at home. I felt lonely and spent most of RA training sophomore year crying in my room. My parents started a move to California. They weren’t sure their marriage would last.
Been too many nights since it’s felt us make love.
Depression found me, too. Almost. I wanna rock some Sheetrock, knock some pictures off the wall.
Real Women, Real Bodies was featured in Cosmopolitan. Then Shape, Glamour, Huffington Post, and more. Love you baby,
I made some friends on my RA staff and in my classes. My residents were amazing and I loved talking to them. I started dating my cute Duty partner. I changed my major to Undeclared. Depression faded.
Like a wrecking ball.
Real Women, Real Bodies held a conference and a created photo response. I joined a conference committee and got accepted onto another one. I was creative and in love. I declared Communication with a Gender and Women’s Studies minor. My parents stayed together.
You, look at you, send me one more shot sitting on the bathroom sink.
I went to a conference and loved Washington, D.C. I worked in and loved the Laramie summer. I smiled and rode my bike and laughed and read. I visited my family in California. Damn you really turn me on, painting your toenails pink.
I went to concerts. I learned to fish. I hiked. Easy baby before you say, but if I can make it just one more day, and
Fall came and with it loneliness.
That old house is gonna be shaking.
My support system fell. I hope those bricks and boards can take it.
Junior year, I loved my residents, but my boss made me hate my job. I was in a bad place. My previous boss advised me to quit. But I won’t be surprised if the whole damn place just falls.
I turned 21 the last day of fall semester junior year. Not long after midnight, I spewed my tenth shot in the men’s bathroom at Crowbar. I aced my Stats final the next day, still drunk. I’m gonna rock you baby,
I went home. I went to Bolivia and built close friendships with wonderful women. I laughed and smiled and my heart came out of the darkness a little.
Like a wrecking ball.
I started popping the white antidepressants. I cried less.
And that old house is gonna be shaking,
I got an RA partner. I built stronger friendships. I loved my classes. I was the Easter Bunny. I organized my last Real Women, Real Bodies photo shoot. I found little comfort between the sheets, but didn’t mind messing them up anyway. Rafter rocking, foundation quaking.
I visited England and Italy and watched Shakespeare at the Globe and saw some stones. I traveled Wyoming and South Dakota with my best friend. I visited Yellowstone. I helped put on a bike race. I spent time with my family. Crash right through the front door,
Senior year. I laughed with the SLCE office. I learned more about racism and sexism and class and the media. I read more books. I smiled more often. I made money at a political organization. I felt better.
Back you up against the wall.
A boy followed me home. I kicked him out of my house at 3am. It was almost too late. But I was lucky. I got angry. I joined a creative writing club. Love you baby.
I started going out with friends who cared about me and made me think. I inked Wyoming into my skin.
Take it right there baby.
I kept reading books. I laughed easier. I learned to cook. I won some awards. I went to Mexico with good friends.
Rock you baby,
I felt more complete. I made an impact. Like a wrecking ball.