Randy

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Randy
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Par For The Course

Education > Colleges & Universities > Looking Back, and More
 

Looking Back, and More

As ol' Satchel Paige once said, "Don't look back" (and more).

I usually don't, but was "forced" to yesterday. I had lunch with an old college friend, whom I hadn't seen for 13 years. He became a minister (I, a science teacher), quite opposites. Religion never came up, thankfully.

What did come up was reminiscing about the good old days at Indiana University. Our "gang" of dormatory guys stuck together for four years. We really bonded and all graduated together.We studied together, played lots of euchre, ate together. (Obviously, the key word is "together"!).

My "world view" was dramatically altered during my college years, thanks to our bull sessions (sandwiched between classes, studying, euchre, eating, etc.). I became a liberal Democrat (much to the chagrin of my parents) and a religious skeptic. The latter was more due to my science classes than my buddies.

In the years following, and, in looking back, my college years in the early 1960s sheltered me from the real world. I was too self-absorbed in my friends and education to be aware of world events. Oh, I could never forget what I was doing when I heard about President Kennedy's asassination or the Cuban missile crisis. But I was ignorant of the "war on poverty", the fledgling space program, what was on television, or much else off campus. Perhaps I was generally aware, but not involved. I had more pressing issues. And, I was young.

The early 60s was a tumultuous period in America's history. I was there, yet I wasn't. My diary records MY life, not events outside of it. I wish I had been more aware of "history being made". Maybe that's why I don't look back very often. I can't remember what happened in the past!

posted on Jan 6, 2011 6:25 AM ()

Comments:

By the way, you call 'em eave troughs and we call 'em gutters. We have a robot thing called a Looj that is supposed to go along in there and scrape up the stuff, but haven't had a chance to try it yet. Not sure how it will work with wet pine needles.
comment by troutbend on Jan 7, 2011 5:49 PM ()
You crack me up. From out of nowhere, you comment about "gutters"! What do you do, mull over my past posts? Which reminds me. I had an "all night" dream last night where I was writing a mystery novel. Somehow, you were involved, but for the life of me, I can't remember the plot. It was good, however!
reply by solitaire on Jan 8, 2011 7:06 AM ()
Thx sharing... I havent been online much lately, but that doesnt mean ur out of my mind, Randy. Will try to keep up with your posts....
btw all the best for the coming year (in stead of looking back, that is looking forward lol)
comment by itsjustme on Jan 7, 2011 7:36 AM ()
Robin! I have missed you. Thanks for the well-wishes. Same to you from across the pond. 2011 WILL be a great year. I just feel positive about it!
reply by solitaire on Jan 8, 2011 7:01 AM ()
Same for me, stuff was happening, and often I wasn't paying very much attention, so now I really enjoy documentaries about the political events of the 1960s and 1970s because I may have heard mention of some of it at the time, but didn't pay it any mind.
comment by troutbend on Jan 6, 2011 10:33 PM ()
I think I tried to be "worldly". I know I tried to act smarter than I really was. I used big words and was dubbed "professor" by the guys. They were always impressed by my taking tough science courses. Most of them were business majors, my roommate a music major. Maybe I am smarter than I think I am, but "to thine own self be true".
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:59 AM ()
All right you and kristilyn got me going What is Euchre!of course I can googled it.Seemed that you had great memory there.
That was cool to meet your buddy there the minister.
comment by fredo on Jan 6, 2011 10:23 AM ()
Next time we get together, I'll bet the religion topic will come up. He'll ask. Maybe he knows already. Euchre is a difficult game to learn. I like the mix of skill and luck. I think it's mostly a midwestern card game.
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:54 AM ()
I was like you when I was in college...completely absorbed in my life and my friend's lives. Our game was bridge, both in the dorms and in the student union. I do think we learn a lot about how to handle ourselves in social situations as well as how to become tolerant of all people. My education in college came from as much outside the classroom as from within.

I was aware of the social issues of the day, but I never felt the need to do anything about them at the time.
comment by redimpala on Jan 6, 2011 9:27 AM ()
I "blame" a lot of my college years on my naivety. Everything was short term--day to day existance. It was when I started teaching that my life, and awareness of the real world came to focus. I'm still working on it!
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:51 AM ()
I demonstrated against the war in Viet Nam, marched for racial equality and joined the NAACP. I advocated for ERA and attended more than one bra-burning demonstration. My 'dead' or limbo period came nearly ten years later and for a much different reason. For many decades, I suffered traumatic amnesia and had a huge gap in my memories that covered the mid 1970's to 1980's. I recovered those memories in the late 1990's which only begs the question, "Was I a basket case before or after I regained my memories?" I did not function as well before, but I sure as heck hurt less.
comment by dragonflyby on Jan 6, 2011 8:55 AM ()
At least now, you have "found yourself". That's something to be thankful for and proud of. I wonder if I have repressed memories of some sort--for some reason.
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:47 AM ()
we played endless games of Spades when I was in college. between that, smoking dope, drinking, boys etc. its a wonder I graduated.

reguards
yer for all the good it did me pal
bugg
comment by honeybugg on Jan 6, 2011 8:29 AM ()
"For all the good it did me". Do you mean college in general, or cards, boys, dope specifically?
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:43 AM ()
Euchre! I love playing euchre, but I don't know many people who know how to play...
comment by kristilyn3 on Jan 6, 2011 7:33 AM ()
That's funny you should pick up on that. I've played euchre once in the past 10 years, that's all. I miss it.
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:42 AM ()
I have so many memories that I cherish and love to look back on. I have lost touch with many of my friends and so many have gone to the great
blue yonder. The sixties were a time of awareness and change for me.
comment by elderjane on Jan 6, 2011 6:47 AM ()
The sixties were indeed a time of transformation for me (ages 17-27): high school, college, Calif. to teach, marriage. Whew! But I pulled out my diary from part of that period (to look up a name), and, while I quickly perused it, I put it away. I just couldn't make myself read the entries. I haven't figured out why I can't. I get sad, almost depressed. And they were good times.
reply by solitaire on Jan 7, 2011 5:40 AM ()
And for me, too. You stated my feelings exactly.
reply by marta on Jan 6, 2011 7:13 PM ()

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