Can it really be?
Yes, it's been a whopping 33 years (more or less) since I graduated college. I was visited my daughter at school this weekend, and got to spent two whole days on a campus. I took a long walk on Sunday morning, and was blown away by how still it was. The suburbs wake up way earlier on the weekends, and town is buzzing with soccer moms and dads, middle-aged folk (like me) who can't sleep more than five hours, and, occasionally, people attending houses of worship.
But the only praying that seemed to be going on this weekend was related to good grades on finals, a job after graduation, and rapid relief from hangovers.
(As a side note, I was also fascinated by the fact that stores that sell bongs have stayed in business for these many years, as major retailers have crashed and burned).
Do I miss my college years? Damn straight, as we used to say. In reflecting, however, I only miss certain things about them. As I walked, I passed a guy complaining loudly to his frat brother how he had been mistreated the night before by a "girl." I don't miss the drama. Small packs of stressed-out kids sat in common areas, huddled around laptops as if the screens contained sacred answers to the meaning of life. They looked too young to be so worried. I don't miss exams, papers, and study groups.
I would, however, still love to sit out on a quad in the middle of the day...go to late-night concerts...take classes like "One-Act Playwriting" and "Women in the Wilderness" (both of which are actually on my transcript)...have intense debates over trivial things (because I was so passionate about a particular cause). Overall, however, age and wisdom don't really feel so bad most days.
But sleeping late on a Sunday...that has real appeal!
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