Modern Hero

I didn't get a current picture when we had dinner in Orlando. *kicking self*



This is my friend Liz. I met Liz at BYU. (I’m gonna say BYU and not BYU-Provo because there was only one BYU). My roommate Jacque, also from Florida, came home one day and said, “There is an apartment full of girls from Florida!” I knew that I must meet them because, hey, people from Florida are awesome. There were indeed 3 girls from Apartment 4 that were from Florida, and one from Indiana. We became fast friends. One of the girls had attended FSU for her undergraduate degree. While there, she was in a sorority. They came up with the notion that BYU should have sororities. So without acknowledgment from the administration of BYU, Gamma Nu was formed. Jacque and I were the fourth and fifth charter members. And as with all sororities, we participated in Rush Week. I’m not sure everything that it involved. I’m sure I have blocked the events from my memory because they involved self-humiliation. I do remember doing push-ups in front of the Harold B. Lee Library.

Liz and I had many adventures together. I remember driving my VW bug to Salt Lake City because she and Sandy were buying motorcycles. They drove the motorcycles home. Liz later wrecked hers. I don’t remember a lot of details but I’m pretty sure that was the end of her need to ride a motorcycle. As you can see she survived.

Liz was a music composition major. I remember going down into the catacombs of the Harris Fine Arts Center and watching and listening as she composed music. I remember thinking, “How does she do that? How does she know what comes next?” I’m still in awe. She taught me that the hardest part of a song is the ending. If a song ends in a fade out then the person took the easy way out because he/she couldn’t think of an ending.

Liz graduated from BYU in a timely manner, unlike some of us. I remember her first job was directing a Catholic choir in California. Oh the irony! It made me laugh then and it makes me laugh now.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, or apartment, Jacque and I get a roommate that…um…(to be Christ-like) we didn’t care for. We must have voiced our disdain quite a bit. We did. I really liked her brother and sister, but not her. It might have been the way she looked down her nose at me. Not sure, but probably.

Meanwhile, back in California, Liz gets a mission call to Nova Scotia.

Meanwhile, back in Provo, the roommate that I don’t care for gets a mission call to Nova Scotia.
Fast forward to Liz and Monica become mission companions. Small world, right? Liz got to know Monica on a deeper, more spiritual level and to this day she swears she is a nice person. Ok, we’ll just leave it at that.

Liz and I lost contact until one day when Facebook was invented. Yes, this becomes one of those miraculous reunions brought about by Facebook. Although, I think Liz and I are eternal friends and would have found a way to reconnect through snail mail.

Actually, I saw Liz for the first time in years when she was featured in the Ensign. Yes, that’s right! I’m so proud to call her my friend. She is using her life to do what we all dreamed of doing when we were young and unjaded. When she prays for World Peace, she actually does something about it. She brings peace to the children left orphaned in war torn countries. She founded a nonprofit organization, The Shropshire Music Foundation. You can read her story here. Please feel inclined to make a donation. I can testify that Liz lives like a pauper and that all of the money goes to the effort. She recently formed a Board of Directors to oversee the details and they forced her to take a minimal salary. (very minimal, less than a fast food worker minimal).

So why this tribute to my friend? In February, Liz was in Florida for a few days and we were able to have dinner together. Liz is the type of friend that I feel like we picked up where we left off. We will always have fun. It was not near enough time to visit but I know there will be more. If we could spend more time together I’m sure that we could solve all of the problems of this world. We have very similar beliefs…besides church. I love you, Liz!