Graffiti

"And it's just another story caught up in another photograph I found. And it seems like another person lived that life a great many years ago from now." -- Jamie Cullum

I'm in the process of cleaning out my closet as I type this and I feel like an archaeologist who, with every layer of soil removed, finds himself deeper into the past. My work shirts covered my 40s on 40 shirt, which covered a Viva La Zvi t-shirt, which covered the first BME Department t-shirt, which covered several Glass House Rocks Staff shirts, which covered my little brown RUSH ESC tee, which covered my Freshman Engineer shirt with the big hideous target on the back, which covered the blue-and-grey school logo tee I purchased the day after I got my Early Decision acceptance letter, which covered four years of high school Walkathon shirts.

Somewhere between Freshman Engineer and RUSH ESC, I found a plain white Hanes t-shirt completely desecrated in marker. This is a relic from Graffiti Night, an event hosted by my Student Council for the sole purpose of allowing students to draw on each other. As I turned the fabric over in my hands, I recognized handwritings, recalled awkward laughs and faulty markers, realized that some of the scribblings belonged to people I would eventually come to call my closest college friends.

Here's a roadmap:

FRONT

Over my stomach: "HOTTIE I want ur babies" with a downward pointed arrow, lovingly drawn by Q
Over my chest: A large black box with the word "Boobs" in the center, drawn by AW "to keep it off-limits to all the creeps in here."
Below my left shoulder: "SEXY!" courtesy of EC.
Below my right shoulder: A large black university crown with "CU Rules" written underneath it in dwong's handwriting.


BACK

Lower back: "I Heart Jesus" Artist unknown.
Below my left shoulder: "Hello!" in what might be PMB's handwriting.
Below my right shoulder: "I want YOU!" and "butt" with two lines under it. Artists unknown.
Left upper back: "You and Eash are so effin hott!" courtesy of Meet.
Right upper back: "Hello friend." Artist unknown.

Needless to say, this isn't one of the items being sent to Goodwill next week.