STAY GOLD BABY

Growing up, my uncle introduced me to ‘Stay Gold’ by Stevie Wonder. Remember that song from ‘The Outsiders’? One of the greatest songs of all time.

The first verse goes like this:

“Seize upon that moment, long ago
One breath away, and there you will be
So young and carefree
Again you will see
That place in time, so gold

So young, carefree that place in time, so gold”

You don’t realize in the moment that the ‘gold’ times are ‘gold’ do you? You never really understand how good it is, until it’s over.

Tonight, I decided I wanted to write something new and began to think about my “seasons of life.”

When I think of seasons of life, I’ll think about a specific time and who I was at that time. Who my best friend was, where I was living, what my favorite book was, what music I was into, etc. All the little things that make up a place in time.

There was a time in my life when my dad took me to soccer practice every Tuesday and Thursday night. Those were the DAYS. We’d get there early and practice before everyone else then on our way home, stop at the Panda Express drive-thru and talk about life. I remember the smell of wet grass and the sound of NPR in the background.

Or the time in my life when I would run over to my best friend’s house just to make sandwiches because her mom had the kind of all-white bread my mom wouldn’t buy. I can still taste what had to be the best ham and cheese sandwich of all time.

I remember it all.

You don’t realize it while you’re in it, but we’re always in a moment or phase of some sort. The sad, beautiful reality is that we never get to relive these times. They’re so incredibly particular to who you’re around and what you’re experiencing.

Unlike Summer or Winter, we only get these “seasons” once in a lifetime. Even the completely mundane days of your life make up a season that you will never get back. One that you’ll probably miss a lot someday.

For example, I never thought I’d miss waking up at 6am for the school bus. Not that it was necessarily an enjoyable experience, but just the fact that I know I will never be a fourteen-year-old in the back of the bus laughing with my friends. I can’t go back. Honestly, I wish I would have spent less time complaining when my alarm went off every morning. I wish I realized, “this wasn’t forever.”

“Nothing gold can stay.”

For me, an important season that comes to mind is when I moved out for the first time. This was about a year ago, right after college and it was liberating. I was hesitant to move because I knew I wanted to live in the same area my parents lived in any way, plus with COVID-19, I had no idea if I’d get a job that would allow me to afford to leave my family’s house. One day I saw a post from my local ski resort that not only were they hiring, but they were also providing housing and roommates in the cutest little mountain town. The next week, I had a job, a roommate and I moved into a small two-bedroom house with a view of Mt. Hood. It was one of the most impulsive decisions I’ve ever made, but truly one of the best.

My roommate and I became best friends fast. Melissa and I shared a tiny kitchen and stayed up every single night talking. We’d just sit in the dark talking out loud, going through every romantic comedy Netflix offered until one of us eventually fell asleep on the other. Then we’d wake up early, make coffee, drive to the mountain and get some fresh turns in before starting work.

I snowboarded almost every single day that Winter and that combined with the different types of people I was meeting; it was life-changing. At the time, it was hard to view this experience as monumental, but that’s just the way it goes, I suppose. You’re never truly aware of how great you had it until years later.

The second verse in ‘Stay Gold’ says,

“Still, away into that way back when
You thought that all would last forever
But like the weather
Nothing can ever, and be in time
Stay gold”

And that’s the way I felt about this time in my life. It was so good; I could never picture it ending.

You never really do, you know?

Come Spring, I remember all my coworkers and friends were beginning talks of where they’d be moving on to next. Some were going to stay in town, others were going home but most were just moving on to the next seasonal gig. What really hurt me was when I found out Melissa was going to Idaho for the summer to give kayak tours. She would no longer be my roommate. The days of driving to work together early in the morning and taking ride breaks together were over.

I was completely caught off guard and blindsided. I don’t know why I took it so hard; I knew Winter wasn’t forever but that meant change. It meant moving on from friendships, memories, routines, etc.

That’s okay. The thing is, this is all just a part of life. Life moves fast and it changes.

The last verse of ‘Stay Gold’ says,

“Life is but a twinkling of an eye
Yet filled with sorrow and compassion
Though not imagined, all things that happen
Will age too old
Though gold”

I think about that. We’ll age too old, though gold. Life is but a twinkling of an eye.

It’s rare and unique, but quick to end. The hardest part is when it’s over, we have regrets about not cherishing it better. Squeezing onto it longer. Not remembering every single detail so we can relive it over and over.

One of the best quotes I remember reading says, “Most humans are never fully present in the now because they believe that the next moment is more important than this one. Then you miss your whole life which is never not now.”

So here we are, in the now.
This is life. Let’s try a little harder to hold on. To remember. Right now.

Stevie Wonder says nothing gold can stay, but that’s not true. As certain seasons fade, a new golden phase of life enters. The next moment.

It’s true that it ends.

But if you’re always aware of life as it’s happening, if you’re fully present in the now...

You can stay gold forever.