It has taken me a long time to figure out why I don't like going to alumni reunion. For those who plan it and love going to it: good for you. Since three of this year's officers were from my class and I know them well, I'm sure it was superb. I didn't go, since there were these three weddings that I prioritized over reunion, but the fact is, the weddings were a welcome excuse to avoid a painful experience.
I've talked in the past about how much I hate good-byes. Usually at this point, I'm burrowed in Revelation 21-22, bawling my eyes out over the promise of all things being made new and wishing that could be now. Since my Bible is in my suitcase, that's not happening right now. Instead, I was thinking about why I wanted to run away as soon as the ceremony ended at Mary Michael's wedding.
Don't get me wrong - it was beautiful. Mary Michael has some of the most divinely inspired taste of anyone that I have ever met, so it was elegant in all the right ways (i.e. the bride herself and the setting) with all of those special touches that she uses to turn trash into gold. Really, who thinks to use old baking pans as a table decoration? And they looked great, too.
The thing is, I always end up driving away with a huge hollow space in my ribcage where thirty or so people fit perfectly. We lived together for eight months, and it was glorious. I love them so much that it hurts to feel it. But we lead completely disparate lives now. Even those who are fortunate enough to live within an hour or two of each other are unlikely to have much contact (I of course exclude here alumni roommates, although I'm told that those who go to the same college frequently move in different social circles from one another).
How do you learn to say hello and good-bye to people you've shared so much life with? A lesson that I don't wish to sit through.
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