Keeping pace

It was a busy October -- the kind that just creates this strange temporal warp. You're there, you're participating in life, fun, whatever from day to day. You go to Homecoming activities, you see "Big River," you catch a Red Dirt music showcase at Flickerwood Arena.

But when it's all over you wonder where all that time went. Did space and time somehow twist themselves around to accelerate your inevitable path toward wherever it is you'll end up?

No, it's just your mind playing tricks on you. And as we head into November, that's likely to happen yet again.

October was a busy month indeed, as you can see by the activities listed above. And it was a month of new: the opening of the River Campus' new performance hall with "Big River" and the venue's first touring show, "Shaolin Warriors," on Wednesday, and the concert experiment that was the first "Loudest Show on Dirt."

Now that November's here, there will be no time to slow down, either.

As soon as this week the rubber will hit the road: The university jazz bands play at the Bedell Performance Hall tonight. First Friday comes this week, with great shows all around, including the opening of the new Untitled gallery on Main Street. On Tuesday, the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra begins its season with the "Sensational Sounds" concert, the first symphony concert in the Bedell. Hometown violin heroine Liesl Schoenberger will be the featured performer. If you haven't heard her yet, you don't even know what you're in for.

The fun doesn't stop after that, either. On Nov. 10 the KISS tribute band KISS ARMY, a widely respected group, will play the Arena Building, a place that hasn't seen much rock 'n' roll lately. The new Drivin' Rain will open (see our story on page 12) and, yes, I'm told there will be beer available for purchase.

After that, Buddy Guy rolls into town Nov. 11, playing the Show Me Center with opener Bruce Zimmerman.

A few days later, popular rockers Daughtry hit the same stage, Nov. 15.

So get ready to lose some more time as the good times speed up life yet again. As long as you're having fun, who cares?

A full, short life is better than a long, empty one, right?