that time I lived across the street from a rock star

Once I lived in Provo, Utah, and I lived in an apartment complex called The Colony. It was like a neighborhood, with separate apartments making up little houses all on its own secluded street. And when I lived there I lived across the street from a rock star.

I should concede, however, that at the time I didn't know he was a rock star, or at least that he would become one. He lived in the building across the street and sometimes practiced with his band when I was trying to read George Eliot. The thumping bass made it very hard to read Middlemarch. I certainly thought him more a nuisance than a rock star.

He went to church with me and was in my assigned Family Home Evening group. And after those weekly get-togethers with our apartments, I would head over to his apartment where I would watch 24 with his roommates.

I'll make no pretense that we were any more than acquaintances. I was friends more with his roommates than I was with him. And frankly, all I knew at the time was that he was in a band that would sometimes play at the local music club, The Velour. Oh, and we were at least somewhat legitimate Facebook friends at the time. (We're still Facebook friends, but I doubt he remembers this girl who lived across the street once and watched 24 with his roommates.)

Four years later I'm driving up the I-5 in Portland, Oregon, and hear the radio host introduce the rock star's band. I listen to the song and think to myself, You know, that's pretty good. And then I think, Hey, I lived across the street from that guy. That almost makes me famous.

You've probably heard him and his band. Imagine Dragons. That's the band: Imagine Dragons. Their most popular song right now is probably this one.

So one day when I'm making my kids listen to stories about my life, I can tell them that when I was in college I lived across the street from a rock star. And they better think I'm awesome for it.