Class of '97

As a mother's day gift, Jerome got tickets to the big track met that happen in Lille every year. I haven't been to a track meet since I last ran one in college over 10 years ago.

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I graduated from college. I always imagined showing up to reunion with my family, showing them where I lived, meeting my professors (who are all retired now!), where I got drunk, and where I led naked runs...and where I studied of course. Ironically, I haven't set foot on campus since graduation day.

When I graduated, I was "supposed" to go to France for 3 months and then come back to the US and follow my then boyfriend around the country for 2 years while he completed an internship. Instead, I stayed in France, slept on couches, ran a marathon, worked on the Champs Elysées, waited in line all night for papers on various occassions, became French, ate lots of cheese, found a wonderful husband and had a beautiful little girl...

With hindsight, I won't say that college was the best time of my life, but it definitely paved my path. Or rather, opened my eyes to the fact that my path was not paved in a straight line. Don't you love liberal arts?

When, I got my "Forever a Bobcat" :class of 97 directory" in the mail, I regretted not having sent in my page. I poured over it and actually found 2 people who mentioned me.

I've been thinking a lot about what I would have said if I had filled out my "then and now" page. I didn't do it because I thought, well, I am in touch with the people I want to be in touch with and the rest of them...who cares?

But now that I've looked through the directory (over and over) I feel a little guilty. Not only did it bring back lots of memories (like the guy who was in all my Buddhism classes who I secretly had a crush on) but I don't even remember half the people (who was Tex?)? I also feel kind of like a voyeur. I guess that's why I didn't send my page in.

Who wants 500 people who you don't remember looking at your page saying, "look how bad she aged" or "how'd he snag such an attractive wife?" or "That's the b*tch who tried to steal my boyfriend".

Maybe I'll make it to my 20 year reunion. And I'll make sure I keep running races between now and then so I can lead the class naked run. I wonder if they do that at reuion?!