Engage!
So, you'll have to excuse me for a little bit of sappiness.
I don't remember exactly when I met Bayard. I know it was either in MoCon or in Clark, where I only knew of him vaguely as a member of the "futon room." I do remember Becky taking me aside and saying, "It's pronounced BAY-erd, like the aspirin." (Wrong!) But while I don't remember the specific circumstances of meeting Bayard, I remember the feeling I had after meeting him. I went to Wesleyan after graduating from a school with a senior class of less than 120 people. My circle of friends in high school was very small and very close. It took a long time for me to adjust to college after that. While I spent all of my first semester meeting people I thought were terrific, I also spent a lot of time feeling out of place. When I met Bayard, it was like the last puzzle piece snapped into place. I knew afterwards that I'd be happy in college.
And I was. The fact that Bayard provided his Muppets From Space DVD for my birthday let me know I'd found the right group of people. Some of the greatest days were sitting outside on Foss Hill that second semester. I remember saying to Bayard, "I have so much reading for Ron Schatz-but screw it, let's go outside and play gin!" I totally made the right decision all of those days. Right now, I don't know or care about anything that's in James Chace's biography of Dean Acheson (sorry, parents who paid for my education), but I do have some awfully fond memories of playing cards on the hill. (Even if I never really learned how to score a gin game for real. "Twenty-five points and two boxes in all three games!")
I do remember the exact day I met Alex-and not just because it was in my own apartment. She came to our New Year's Eve party. The fact that she was willing to come hang out with a room full of strangers on NYE shows that she's pretty much game for anything. The fact that she fit in so well with everyone proves how awesome she is. I'm glad I've gotten to know her better-and even happier that most of that getting-to-know business has taken place over board games. That shows that, even though I didn't know her in college, I can totally picture being her friend if we had wound up at the same school.
So, obviously, nothing makes me happier than knowing these two people are getting married. It's like an '80s cartoon where two great things combine to form something super-amazing. I'm really honored that I got to be present at their engagement-even if the anticipation of knowing it was coming almost killed me from the inside out. (I've said this before, but I really mean it: Please don't tell me secrets. I turn into that Kristin Wiig SNL character who jumps out the window because she knows about a surprise party. In this case, though, I'm glad Bayard told me-and super-proud of myself that I didn't ruin it.) I also really like how my friends are currently rocking 100% with proposals that are totally unique and completely perfect for them.
I guess this is all just a really wordy way of saying congratulations to Bayard and Alex! And, to the rest of the Wesleyan crew, we've got some work to do…
I don't remember exactly when I met Bayard. I know it was either in MoCon or in Clark, where I only knew of him vaguely as a member of the "futon room." I do remember Becky taking me aside and saying, "It's pronounced BAY-erd, like the aspirin." (Wrong!) But while I don't remember the specific circumstances of meeting Bayard, I remember the feeling I had after meeting him. I went to Wesleyan after graduating from a school with a senior class of less than 120 people. My circle of friends in high school was very small and very close. It took a long time for me to adjust to college after that. While I spent all of my first semester meeting people I thought were terrific, I also spent a lot of time feeling out of place. When I met Bayard, it was like the last puzzle piece snapped into place. I knew afterwards that I'd be happy in college.
And I was. The fact that Bayard provided his Muppets From Space DVD for my birthday let me know I'd found the right group of people. Some of the greatest days were sitting outside on Foss Hill that second semester. I remember saying to Bayard, "I have so much reading for Ron Schatz-but screw it, let's go outside and play gin!" I totally made the right decision all of those days. Right now, I don't know or care about anything that's in James Chace's biography of Dean Acheson (sorry, parents who paid for my education), but I do have some awfully fond memories of playing cards on the hill. (Even if I never really learned how to score a gin game for real. "Twenty-five points and two boxes in all three games!")
I do remember the exact day I met Alex-and not just because it was in my own apartment. She came to our New Year's Eve party. The fact that she was willing to come hang out with a room full of strangers on NYE shows that she's pretty much game for anything. The fact that she fit in so well with everyone proves how awesome she is. I'm glad I've gotten to know her better-and even happier that most of that getting-to-know business has taken place over board games. That shows that, even though I didn't know her in college, I can totally picture being her friend if we had wound up at the same school.
So, obviously, nothing makes me happier than knowing these two people are getting married. It's like an '80s cartoon where two great things combine to form something super-amazing. I'm really honored that I got to be present at their engagement-even if the anticipation of knowing it was coming almost killed me from the inside out. (I've said this before, but I really mean it: Please don't tell me secrets. I turn into that Kristin Wiig SNL character who jumps out the window because she knows about a surprise party. In this case, though, I'm glad Bayard told me-and super-proud of myself that I didn't ruin it.) I also really like how my friends are currently rocking 100% with proposals that are totally unique and completely perfect for them.
I guess this is all just a really wordy way of saying congratulations to Bayard and Alex! And, to the rest of the Wesleyan crew, we've got some work to do…