Jacque Lane

Journalism

Fall 2002

Fireball

It is completely dark. I canπt see my hand in front of my face, and I feel as if any moment I may walk into the unknown. Two of my friends, Malia and Evelyne, are huddled close as we venture out to the edge of campus. There are no lights past the tennis courts, and as we make our way onto the soccer field, the darkness is all consuming. We constantly scan the clear sky to hopefully catch a glimpse of one of natureπs most fascinating shows. Suddenly I see one and watch in awe as a meteor traverses the sky from north to south.

≥Wow, did you see that?≤ Malia asks.

Evelyne is disappointed that she missed it, but just then another meteor crosses the sky. This time each of us points it out, and exclaims at the sight of the bright flash and streak in the sky.

At this point we have reached the field, and we lay in the grass. It is cold and slightly damp. It is late fall, in November, and the temperature keeps dropping as the hour slips past midnight.

For a while we silently observe the sky and settle into our surroundings. All my thoughts and worries about the day or the next fade from my mind in that moment. As I lay there next to Malia and Evelyne, I feel released from the stress of the hectic day, and I experience a great sense of peace and belonging.

***

Earlier that night all three of us were studying. Mostly we were avoiding studying. Evelyne and I as roommates always procrastinated together, and on this occasion Malia, who lived in the same suite, joined in. As Malia checked her e-mail, she told us about a meteor shower that was supposed to happen that night. Her dad always keeps her informed about these sorts of things, and we decided that it would be exciting to actually go and witness it. When I am studying I always jump at the chance to do anything else even remotely exciting, and this seemed like a great opportunity to get away from my work and spend time with two people who I considered to be my best friends at school. Malia, Evelyne, and I hardly knew each other when our sophomore year started, but it didnπt take us long to get close. After a few short weeks it seemed that these friends were the people I would turn to first if I was feeling down or needed a little encouragement

From what we had gathered from Maliaπs e-mail from her dad, this meteor shower was special. Supposedly this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity since the shower would not occur for another 75 years after that night. We did face a sort of dilemma, though. How could we spend all night outdoors and get everything done for class and wake up the next day? I ran these thoughts through my head, but I could not stand the idea of passing the opportunity up. We all agreed. School would just have to take a backseat the next dayãwe had more important things to do.

We acted spontaneously and did not really think out what we would do. We left our dorm shortly before midnight without blankets or anything else. The meteors would be most visible where it was completely dark. After thinking over our options, the soccer field seemed to be the best location.

As we lay there staring up at the sky, we saw a few meteors periodically go across the sky. Usually it would happen so fast that I wasnπt sure if I was imagining it or not. After awhile my eyes grew tired, and I felt like I was drifting off. The air grew colder, and clouds were starting to roll in from the north. Would our view be obstructed and signal the end of our stargazing? I hoped not, but eventually I couldnπt escape the growing discomfort from the cold, and neither could Evelyne and Malia. We decided to head back inside. It looked as though the adventure was coming to a close. I couldnπt help but feel a tinge of disappointment.

We were back in our room for a few minutes, sipping on our hot chocolate that Malia made, when we decided that we had to go back out again. Maybe if we waited a couple more hours, there would be more to see. At this point we were committed to our mission, and prepared to go outside after resting a while.

The time came, and we gathered up some blankets and put on a couple layers of clothing. I took my flashlight as well, and we headed out for the second time.

Now it was past three in the morning, and everything seemed more surreal, as if I were still in a dream. As we walked out to the field, I noticed how still the campus was. Not a soul appeared as we ventured towards our destination. I felt as though the three of us were the only people in the world at that moment.

Luckily the clouds did not cover the entire sky, and from our position facing directly east, the span of the sky was clearly visible. The chill in the air was no longer uncomfortable. Instead it made me feel more alive and aware of my surroundings. It also helped that I was able to snuggle comfortably under my blanket as I looked up into the sky.

This time the prospects were more promising as we instantly saw numerous meteors. Each time one zipped across the black sky, I couldnπt help but be mesmerized and energized by the sight. The world seemed so big, and I so small. But as the sky sparked with activity, I felt a part of it. In that special moment of heightened awareness, I was on the verge of having a revelation.

About half an hour after we arrived back on the scene for the second time, a rather large meteor suddenly blazed through the sky. We saw the fire it produced as it streaked through the atmosphere, and it seemed to glide slowly across the sky towards us. This sight amazed all of us, and as it faded out of view, I knew I had seen something quite extraordinary.

The image of this ≥fireball in the sky≤ (as we always have called it since) has remained locked in my memory. After seeing this meteor, we all felt enlivened and hoped to see more like it. However, nothing we saw later could compare with this particular meteor. It didnπt matter, though, because that one moment made the whole ordeal worthwhile.

Not long after the fireball incident, the adventure seemed to be fulfilled, and we decided that we could go back. I was sad the moment had to end, but the images of what I experienced continued to play through my mind.

The three of us couldnπt stop talking as we made our way back. We stepped out of the darkness into the brightly lit parking lot, and reality came back. Class was just a few short hours away, and I was ready to finally go to sleep.

The night ended, our adventure came to a close, but the memory remains fresh in my mind still. The next day came, and despite the lack of sleep, I felt refreshed and enlivened. I looked forward to telling other people what I had seen and what they had missed out on.

Most of all I sensed the impact that the experience had on me. During those few short hours that night, I felt more connected, not only in the world, but also with my friends. This moment in time stands out amongst my more recent memories, and I continually seek the feeling I had that night.

A few months later, Evelyne, Malia and I still replay our memory of the meteor shower. Sometimes I am confronted with and reminded of the fireball image, and it often comes out of nowhere. Malia and I usually joke about our odd fascination with that night. She even gave a speech about it in one of her classes.

Now that almost a year has passed since that night, the memory fades into a dreamlike image. Did it really happen that way? Or did I create and embellish the magnitude of the occurrence in my mind? Why does it even matter at all?

I donπt exactly know the answers to these questions. But it was during that night of exploration and spontaneity that I felt something greater than myself. I have never felt more alive and aware of everything around me. And I could actually sense the bond that existed between our friendship.

In a way, that night was like a light bulb going off in my head. Except it was a fireball in the sky that signified my awakening to reality. I discovered what mattered most to me. Experiencing life and sharing it with people. What could possibly be more important?

Authorπs Afterward:

This article represents a large part of who I am even though it focuses on a very specific event that happened my sophomore year. When I first was approached with the assignment, I tried to think of really important things I had done or some really amazing experience I had in the past. I looked deep inside, and I even consulted my family members. But I didnπt really feel any of those storiesãnot enough to write about them. I decided to go with this experience of the meteor shower because I felt that it represented the core of who I am. This is like a picture into my outlook on life and the great importance I place on my close friendships.

Out of all the articles, I thought this one was most enjoyable to write. However, it wasnπt always easy because I would often second-guess my self as I wrote. Yeah I cared, but would anyone else? Memories are often hard to recreate, at least for me. I wanted to tell the story as close as I could, and I relied on my friends to help me remember some of the details. I feel that the theme of this article comes across in the end, and I was hoping to make an impact on the audience through my experience.

I found that writing from my first person perspective is much less taxing on my mind than writing the other two narratives in third-person perspectives. In this article I did not have to worry about misrepresenting the other person, and I had more freedom in my writing. The only difficulty I had was showing the reader instead of just telling because I saw it my mind and did not always recognize the specific elements missing from the actual text. The revision process was important in helping me realize this.

I learned a lot through writing, being critiqued in the peer workshops, and making the final revisions. Most all I realized that I could write something that was not the most dramatic, tragic, or emotional story, and it could still be meaningful not only to me, but to a larger audience.