A Brotherly Reunion, and a Reintroduction to Life “Out There”

Growing up in rural Maine, I had a babysitting gig across the street that turned into a lifelong friendship with the kids I looked after. The eldest, Matt, was five years younger and became like a little brother to me over the years. As we grew up, I watched him take up drumming, and I started playing guitar, and before we knew it, a musical mentorship had formed between us.

I would lend him my Slingerland snare to use on his kit and pop into his band rehearsals to offer an extra set of ears. We would chat about exciting new bands and our latest music projects. It was a fulfilling friendship that brought us together over our shared love of music.

Years later, as we both went our separate ways and landed in different parts of the country, we lost touch. But out of the blue, I got an Instagram message from Matt saying that he would be in Austin for work and wanted to catch up. I was thrilled at the prospect of rekindling our friendship and excited to go out for the first time in over a year. We were both vaccinated and ready to go.

We met up at Julio's, a pre-Covid favorite of mine, and had a blast catching up on music, Maine, and old friends. We reminisced about our youth and shared our experiences of growing up and becoming adults. We had more than a couple of margaritas and enjoyed the freedom of being out and about once again.

Although the hangover the next day was rather epic, the time spent with Matt made it all worth it. Moments like these are what make life meaningful and remind us of the importance of human connections. I'm grateful for these moments and can't wait for more.