As you would know if you've ever taken a header from your day-to-day life into realms unknown (and lived to tell the tale), being in free fall, while a bit terrifying, can be exhilarating. Those exhilarating moments come when you know you're where you're supposed to be.
After a weekend reunion at my alma mater (Latin for "nourishing mother"), Sarah Lawrence College, I do, indeed, feel nourished--and inspired. When I matriculated into SLC, I was 28, quite a few years older than your average college junior. I was there with purpose, my singular goal to finish my BA by the time my 30th rolled around. With stacks of reading material, papers and poems to write, poetry readings and a boyfriend in Brooklyn, I wasn't the most high-profile person on campus and didn't really get to know too many people in my class. So it wasn't a surprise that I didn't recognize too many faces, nor did many know who I was. It didn't matter. I felt I was home again.
I, unfortunately, missed the opening day due to all-day apartment hunting in Manhattan, but Saturday morning I got myself to the campus and it was just as beautiful and serene as I remembered. And hilly--muscle memory kicked in as my thighs burned trekking to my seminar after scarfing down 8000 calories of breakfast carbs in the Bates dining hall. Called "Making a Career Change Dream a Reality," a small group met conference roundtable-style in the Dudley Lawrence living room. And what a group it was--articulate, brilliant, accomplished, passionate, present, each of the participants shared his/her story of transitions both big and small, and shared experiences of re-birth, the road less traveled and bon mots like, "leave time for the miraculous," "learn how to play," "cultivate a sense of gratitude," "worry less." All this from Joanne (Jody) Braxton, class of '72, now the Frances C. and Edwin L. Cummings Professor of American Studies at The College of William and Mary. Lawyer, pianist and teacher, Stephanie Cooper (class of '65, MFA in chamber music '76), said, "Rewrite the end of the fairy tale if you don't like the way it ends."
That's it--I'm in re-writes. 'Till the end of time, let's hope.
There was a stellar party atop the United Nations Secretariat Building that night, after a private tour of the General Assembly chambers, the Security Council chambers and a gander at some beautiful artwork, such as the Norman Rockwell Mosaic and the Chinese Ivory Carving. You can take a virtual tour of the UN here. With a warm breeze off the East River, we saw fireworks exploding over the Brooklyn Bridge, and all the surrounding buildings in their vertical glory glowing in the setting sun. Even the wait staff was on the dance floor by the end of the evening.
And, as is appropriate in this kind of crowd, I managed to meet my very own (self-appointed) Virgil into the New York art world in Conrad Vogel, class of '77. I'm going in deep, so I suppose I'll need a guide who knows the terrain. ;)
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