Stalking the Stacks with Library Lil
*Stalking the Stacks with Library Lil* |
2002-03-25 I don’t think I’ve ever had such an exhausting and yet exciting weekend as I had this last one. I went to Chicago, flew there in fact, because husband was attending a conference. I had thought I’d do a little sightseeing and maybe see my roommate from college (the only one I keep in contact with) who was in Chicago doing research. Instead, she organized (or coordinated) the biggest college reunion I had been to--including her wedding which got quite a crowd. My one college friend that lives in the city, was alas going to New Orleans for the week (another conference--we are all yuppies) and so we saw him Friday night, stayed out too late and then Saturday we got up early and I hiked to the train, then hiked from the train to Lincoln Park Zoo to meet up with so many people that I can’t even come up with good fake names for all of them. I suppose I could name us by our majors that would make us: History (me), Chemistry, Sociology, Biology (my roommate), Engineering and English. English brought her husband who didn’t go to college with us, but did go to my hometown church (yes it is a small inbred world) and her two little boys. Chemistry and Sociology are married and brought their little girl. Engineering left his wife at home. Since Biology was doing a big research project she too had left her husband at home and poor husband (who actually knew all of these people) had to be in meetings all day and couldn’t go. You know I just realized too that we had two PhD’s in the group (if husband had been there it would have been three) and I think I’m the only one who stopped at a masters, in fact due to the fact that Chemistry and Biology are the doctors, I might be the only one with a masters degree.Anyway it was fun. Engineering had grown up near Chicago and still had his accent, though he lives far away now. We saw all kinds of animals and watched the kids explore and get hungry then be wound up then be tired. We hiked to a pizza parlor, and caught up on what everyone is doing. English though no one had changed a bit--even though it had been at least 5 years since she saw any of us--except Engineering, she had gone to visit him, when a conference her husband was attending took them in his direction. What I found the most amusing, was that we didn’t get all nostalgic for college. We all like our lives (mostly) and we didn’t spend time wishing (aloud anyway) that we were back there. I’m reminded that we all have our sadnesses, loves gained and lost, babies conceived and lost or adopted and lost and dreams that have yet to be fulfilled. but we didn’t talk too much about those either. We caught up on our lives really. I was struck though by the changes, not only in my friends but in me. At pizza we debated toppings and I asked if anyone had become vegetarian, conversation literally stopped while they stared at me. I realized after we decided on one sausage and one pepperoni pizza that I usually don’t eat meat on my pizza. I had forgotten pizza likes, I’d changed my own pizza likes. I was amazed as I saw English and Sociology (who will probably write to tell me she was really a business major but oh well) in their roles as moms. I wondered how my own motherhood would have made me feel even more different. After the zoo closed we went our separate ways. Well actually Engineering took me back to my hotel, since we thought husband might be done with meetings and have some time to visit. He did and then had a dinner meeting, so Engineering and I went window shopping and talked about Zoe and his marriage and all sorts of things. It was the most nostalgic part of the evening--two people sharing private hurt and knowing the other would understand and not judge. After going our separate ways I got all introspective and wondered about the many ways my life could be different, wondered about the many decisions I’ve made and in the end congratulated myself on stumbling on some wise choices, not the least of which was to go to college where I went and become friends with such wonderful people.
|
