Back to the Beginning
Last weekend I went back to one of the places that shaped my life
and I reconnected
With friends from those days and with people I've come to know better through reunions. It may look like there weren't too many of the class of '79 on hand, but in true "we're gonna do it our way" fashion, we drifted in through the weekend, from something like 25 on Friday night, to at least twice that number by Saturday's dinner.
In between, we paraded
and ate lobster (which I was too busy eating to photograph). Love those Colby lobster bakes!
We slept in twin beds in the "new dorms" where I lived sophomore year
The rooms had those lovely views into the woods even then.
And I walked down memory lane:
This is where I was sitting at the end of spring semester my freshman year, waiting for my father to pick me up. My future husband came over to say goodbye and I think that was the first clue I had that we were more than casual acquaintances.
More than thirty years later, here he is
(in his Class of '78 shirt).
I didn't take photos of two of the other people who shaped my life (too busy talking again), but they know who they are.
I did take a shot of this important marker:
It's from the hearth of Elijah Parish Lovejoy's birthplace in Albion, Maine. Lovejoy was a Colby grad and a journalist, martyred for his belief in freedom of the press in Illinois in the 19th century. Even when my desire to write was half-formed, every time I passed it on my way across campus, this rock reminded me how important freedom of speech is.
By Sunday afternoon, after a visit to the art museum, it was time to sail for home.
with refreshed memories and souvenirs
(That's a mule, people! Uh-huh.)