Cat Randall

I wish all of my readers (the few of you that there are) knew my dear Catherine Randall. She is, honestly, one of the best random people I've ever met. It all started through Elaine our sophomore year in college, though I don't remember much about it, then. The following year, after returning from a semester abroad, I ended up moving in with a stranger who was a friend of my best friend (Elaine). I didn't know this girl at all, and it wasn't an optimal situation, so I thought. I was nervous about meeting someone and immediately moing in with her. Would we have similar interests? Would she understand when I needed the room to be quiet so I could get work done? Would our showering schedules conflict? Was she a clean-room person or messy (which is intolerable to me)?

Turns out, Cat is very much like me; we have many similar tastes and ideas, while managing to be very very different. Living with her that semester was one of the best college experiences I had, and now she's one of my absolute favorite people on Earth.

One of her dissimilarities from myself is her musical talent. Cat has the voice of an angel. I go up to Taylor to hear her perform as often as my crazy life allows. I'd pay any amount of money to hear her sing, and I'm not just saying this because she's my friend.

After her performance with the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra this afternoon, I couldn't even keep track of how many people approached her to thank her profusely for her "stunning", "spectacular", and "phenomenal" performance. The head honcho of the MPO told her that all she had to do was send a recording of this performance to any grad school she was interested in and that would "seal the deal" as far as he was concerned. After she sang the aria, I had tears in my eyes.

What makes me sad is that I am so busy, I haven't had time to talk to her much after her great operatic feats this month. I always have to jet back home to study, write papers, and read the unending supply of dry articles and case studies for classes, just to be on the verge of being caught up. I'm afraid she doesn't understand how much I am inspired by her voice, by the talent she is using to enrich people's lives.

In case you ever read this, Cat, I hope you know how much I love you and the opportunities I have had this year to hear you perform. You're gifted, Chics.