Once Upon a Campus

In this photo: Old Main framed through a very old, big tree.

It was a grungy, overcast morning that turned into a spectacular peach of an afternoon! The sun came out, the skies turned blue, and puffy white clouds floated around like they owned the place.

The sun brought the students out in full force, too. Pretty girls in short skirts and graduation caps strutted and pranced and posed for pictures at the University Gates. The traffic light was green, but the vehicles were gridlocked. Everyone stopped, just looking and looking and looking.

For myself, I was filled with joy, even though I was on my way to a meeting. I had The Band's The Last Waltz on the CD player in the car, and I played Neil Diamond's Dry Your Eyes LOUD and sang along, over and over, with the windows down and the sun roof open, while driving down College Ave. Because I'm just so cool that way.

I left my car in a parking garage downtown and spent 15 minutes before my meeting doing what everybody else was doing: you know, just looking around, enjoying the day, being happy. Turtles on the duck pond looked on, disapprovingly. Cardinals ate flowers in trees overhead. Young lovers canoodled in every forgotten nook.

Campus is just gorgeous this time of year, and graduation is coming up this weekend. This lovely afternoon was like a pretty picture of what a University life could and maybe even should be. (I mean, birds: eating flowers? Come on! But they really WERE!)

I walked past Old Main and took pictures of people taking pictures of happy people. I smiled too, and I remembered the dream that brought me here. I am living it, every day. This is my fairytale, my reality: once upon a campus.

Let's let the soundtrack for this day be the song I had blasting the decals off my car on College Ave.: Neil Diamond, with Dry Your Eyes, from The Last Waltz. Sing along if you want to; I DID! Dry your eyes, take your song out. It's a newborn afternoon. and if you can't recall the singer, you can still recall the tune. . . .

Perspective: Your life is your song. Make it a good one.

P.S. Also featured: a lovely lunch at Olive Garden with dear girlfriends; photo of seafood alfredo, salad, and breadsticks in the extras.  :-)

P.P.S. About the song: did you know that was the ONLY time Neil Diamond performed this song live? Click on this Rolling Stone link for more stories and details about this performance.