Life was so simple back then...

Although this day should be remembered for Martin Luther King, for the most part that is not what it means to many people.  To most it means a holiday from work or from school.

I am no different.

This day began having more significance for me in college.  Specifically sophomore year.  Before this it was a day off from school, cool but that was about the extent of it.

My sophomore year, I had turned 21.  I could drink without fear of arrest.  This meant it was an extra day to have parties.  Usually we bumped it up to begin the weekend on Thursday and went on through Sunday night and recovering on Monday.

Thinking about this day, and what it had meant in college, made me miss college.  Some say that high school was the best time of their life, they had a great time.  I hated high school, for the most part I did not have a good time, I could not wait for the day, the week, the year, the four years to end.

College was a whole different story.  The first semester was a rough one being away from home for the first time.  It was pretty lonely.  Although I knew that I was going to be a theatre major, it was a little tough to get 'in' to the group until I began working in the scene shop and working on shows.  (The first show was a hold over from the summer season so cast and crew was already assigned.)

Around October, I moved to a different dorm (closer to the theatre), and was getting involved more and it was great.  My room mate typically did not see me from morning until late at night, maybe catch a glimpse of me rushing in to change clothes before rehearsal.

Sophomore year I was living with Courtney and we had a good time.  We did a lot of\ stupid things, some minor injuries, but nothing serious. So all was good.

She annoyed Courtney...

I had to help...

 

Where else but college do you decorate with beer cans?

There was a connection between us, we were all in this thing together.

Some left too soon...

Finally graduation day came.  I knew that it possibly be the last time that I would see a lot of these people.  I have been able to see some of them periodically, we had a wonderful reunion of the theatre alumni and we were able to catch up.  I did a couple of visits after I had graduated to visit some people but that is about it.  For the most part many of the people that were such a big part of my life are not in it any more.  Perhaps I can blame myself for this as I moved out of state and ended up on a cruise ship for many years so I was out of the country but it is still unfortunate.

I often think of the Avenue Q song and think out nice it would be to go back to college.  I would have fewer worries (or less important in the long run).  I would not be timing deposits and checks written to make sure funds would be there for the bill.  I would not be wondering where the next car payment would be coming from.  And be anxiously awaiting replies to sent resumes and interviews when they do happen.            

All that being said, IF I did go back to college, would it be the same.  Would I have the same experiences or would my classmates be too different being from a different generation?

Probably not...

Were my experiences the way they were only because of the time that I was there and the people that I was there with?                              

Probably...

Thanks Dr. King for all that you did but I don't remember what you did on your day but my days in college.