To My Friends...

As I near the end of my teen years, I have been reminiscing more than normal.

I've been thinking of my favorite album that came out 15 years ago (Hanson's This Time Around) and how I am actually old enough to remember something that happened so long ago.

For the 10 months I have been 19, my life has been blessed with some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Starting in September 2014, my birthday month, I interviewed a band for the school paper who happened to be making a stop in Tuscaloosa.

I asked them my standard list of questions via email and wrote the piece like normal and I met up with them at the venue later in the day to give them a copy of the article.

I did not know it then, because if I had, I would have cherished the moment more, but this band would give me more laughs in a three hour time span than most people get in a life time.

My boys in Atlas Road Crew hold a special place in my heart and to this day, the article I wrote about them is still one of my favorites. There are also not many bands who can get away with saying "Roll Tide" in a radio interview 37 times or who can make me fall out of my chair while on-air from excitement.

Backtracking to July 2014, I went to see Birmingham band Maylene & The Sons of Disaster at Zydeco. Never in a million years would I have thought the local opening band would end up being the brightness to my dark moments.

While I did not meet this band that day in July, let's fast forward to October.

One of my favorite bands, AFI, was playing at Iron City. In a strange turn of events, I ended up meeting the bassist and guitar player for the band I saw in July and I recognized them instantly.

After talking to them for almost an hour, I just knew these guys were going to be my best friends. And I was right.

Eventually, I met the other two members of Sinema (and one's significant other) and since then, those boys have shown me a type of love and friendship that I did not know was feasible.

Ending our timeline of firsts, in January of 2015, I met up with the bassist from the aforementioned band at a bar in Tuscaloosa.

That was the day I learned not to take life so seriously.

This last group of guys taught me what it truly means to be a Wildcard.

My friends in Ensul have shown me what it feels like to be truly appreciated for the work that I do. They are the goofiest, silliest, dorkiest, sweetest, most unpredictable, and kind-hearted guys I know.

All of this being said, my friends mean the world to me and I still wonder what I did to deserve these boys in my life.

They will always take precedent over everything I do.

These three groups make me want to be a better person, push myself just a little bit harder, and love with all my heart.

I always look forward to the days when I can be in their presences.

When I look back on my life again one day, I will look back at my 19th year and remember how loved and appreciated I felt.

If you're lucky, you'll find friends like mine.

One of my favorite "friendship" lyrics comes from Rise Against's Swing Life Away:

"I've got some friends, some that I hardly know. But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world."

I've always been one to believe that friendship is not about who has been there the longest. It is about who came and never left.

To Atlas Road Crew: Max, Taylor, Bryce, Dave, and Patrick; Sinema: Nathan, Cody, Jeremy (Kyle), and Andrew; and Ensul: Stephen, Tristan, Austin, and Adam, thank you for helping me find my place in the world and teaching me what it truly means to love someone more than yourself.

Thank you for showing me what it means to be a best friend.

For that I will forever be grateful.

I love you guys.

- Kinsey