Trinity University

I have this habit of developing mad crushes at the end of my senior year. In high school, I was infatuated with this smart and handsome sophomore soccer player and now, my senior year at Trinity, I find myself crushing on someone else. I actually have no idea who he is. He’s just good looking and dresses himself well. So there I was, racing down Cardiac Hill because I swear I saw him somewhere ahead. Following a trail of smoke, I found him and passed by nonchalantly, without falling over, giggling or otherwise embarrassing myself. See, even the fact that he smokes doesn’t deter me. I find that this just adds to his allure. All in the name of distraction…distraction from the fact that life as an undergraduate will end, distraction from the thought that I will have to work to survive, distraction from long senior seminar papers…distraction in the form of attractiveness. Something to make me temporarily giddy in moments better spent writing resumes and deciding where to live.

I guess I chase after distraction as a form of self-preservation. There is this huge, looming shadow casting a pall over everything right now. I can’t properly enjoy the fact that I finally (finally, finally) have a piano class in my schedule and the knowledge that my sister is only a block away. Every day begins and ends with the same doubts about the future. What do I do with my life? There’s approval, qualifications, salary and location to consider. All so alien to me. I have been a student my whole life. Graduate school seems safe. I could just continue on, reading, writing and studying without skipping a beat. Yet, that is not what I want. Just think back to the movie “Vicky, Christina, Barcelona.” Vicky only knew what she didn’t like…and that’s never going to get her anywhere. It seems then, that I will have to bravely dive into the workforce. If I were a betting woman, I would put a dime down on odds favoring my visit to Career Services this week (just letting you know, those of you out there that obsess over these kinds of things – you’re there, I know it).

Aside from these embarrassing and paralytic episodes, school life continues normally. Nancy and I always say that we wish we could do it all over again. I know just what I would have done. I would have supplanted all the chemistry classes I took freshman year with math classes. I would have majored in math and possibly English or drama. I would have also taken French classes since all good cooks should know how to pronounce the dishes they make. But back to reality…

Nancy, Victoria and I went to Bistro Bakery today (Saturday). It was very good. Their bread pudding was sinful – lots of chocolate and butter. Thank God we walked there, otherwise I would make myself get up to run around tomorrow morning (and on the seventh day, let there be rest).
Here is a picture of them:

What you can’t see is even more interesting. I’ll describe it to you. There were five of the oddest looking people sitting behind them. A man who looked like Kenickie from Grease (black shirt, folded jeans, slicked hair and all), a large, portly gentleman with a cane, a young motorcycle woman, an athletic-looking grandmother, and a Tibetan monk (wearing his orange and red robes). It was flabbergasting. How did they all know each other?

The things you see when you leave the campus – they strike fear in your heart. (Not really, I’ve just always wanted to write that).

Well, the nice thing to say right now is that I hope everyone isn’t as lost as me, and although I do wish that, I don’t want to be alone in my confusion. Instead, I’ll wish you a productive week, and this I believe is possible.

"Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing." - Harriet Braiker