Old Friends
This week I took an evening away from my busy schedule to go to dinner with friends from Law School. My Law School class was only 100 people and we spent four grueling years together, so although I do not have any college friends from UCLA (I worked while going to school and pretty much commuted there), I should not have been surprised to realize just how many people I remembered from Law School. Nashwa sent an e-mail that she and Adrienne were taking Jeff to dinner and did I want to join them. Sure. Then Jeff sent an e-mail and invited Rob and Sharon. Then I called Phil.
Only Nashwa, Jeff and I could actually make the dinner, but as we compared notes on all the people from our class that we've kept in touch with, it was about half the class. Nashwa had a daughter after she graduated from Law School who is still at home, but her other children are grown. She was telling us about her 26 year old son and then she reminded us that he was only four when we started Law School. Jeff has two grown children, one finished with college, the other still in college and three step-children. When I spoke with Phil, his oldest is in college and his youngest is a Junior in High School. Phil said that his health has been a little weird lately--high blood pressure. I teased him to say that Ha, Ha, now he'll have to take pills everyday. He replied with colorful language that I don't want to be googled over. I told them all about Caitlyn. They remembered when Marisa was born. Marisa was born in our second year of Law School. There were a few days when I was deciding whether to quit Law School and move back to Michigan to help take care of Marisa. At the time Jeff warned me to go see the movie "Baby Boom" before I make any rash decisions. So silly.
We went to a Japanese place. I had asked Adam what I should eat, and he said that they would have steak. So I ordered plain steak. Wow, was it good. Jeff insisted that I try the tuna, so I tried a tini, tiny bite. The sause was amazing and soon I was dunking my steak in that sause. I think I tasted ginger, honey, butter and something very close to the best bottom of the steak pan I've ever had in my life. Who knew.
Nashwa was happy, but she looked tired and talked about the pro bono work that she does. She's an imigration attorney. Jeff looked great, but he was also tired. He told us that he gets up at 3:30 a.m. to start work, because his wife doesn't want him to work at night. I teased him that I would be thinking about him already three hours at work, when I wake up at 6:30 a.m.. Of course his come back was, three billable hours while you are still wasting time sleeping. I was very tired driving in traffic to get to the dinner. I actually closed my eyes at one point in traffic and rationalized that the cars weren't moving anyway. Then I realized that this is probably what everyone who falls asleep on the freeway says and I got my toothpicks out.
The great thing about going to Law School at night was that we were all professionals--working people--self supporting adults. The day class had the feel of college--kids who still do their laundry at home. The bad thing now is that 22 years later, we are old.
P.S. Nashwa is my Quincy. As I approached them from the parking lot to get there, she exclaimed, "Kathy, you always look so happy and great." I was thinking, I am so exhausted that it's going to show on my face how much I don't want to be here, but of course after that greeting, I was in the best spot on earth.
Only Nashwa, Jeff and I could actually make the dinner, but as we compared notes on all the people from our class that we've kept in touch with, it was about half the class. Nashwa had a daughter after she graduated from Law School who is still at home, but her other children are grown. She was telling us about her 26 year old son and then she reminded us that he was only four when we started Law School. Jeff has two grown children, one finished with college, the other still in college and three step-children. When I spoke with Phil, his oldest is in college and his youngest is a Junior in High School. Phil said that his health has been a little weird lately--high blood pressure. I teased him to say that Ha, Ha, now he'll have to take pills everyday. He replied with colorful language that I don't want to be googled over. I told them all about Caitlyn. They remembered when Marisa was born. Marisa was born in our second year of Law School. There were a few days when I was deciding whether to quit Law School and move back to Michigan to help take care of Marisa. At the time Jeff warned me to go see the movie "Baby Boom" before I make any rash decisions. So silly.
We went to a Japanese place. I had asked Adam what I should eat, and he said that they would have steak. So I ordered plain steak. Wow, was it good. Jeff insisted that I try the tuna, so I tried a tini, tiny bite. The sause was amazing and soon I was dunking my steak in that sause. I think I tasted ginger, honey, butter and something very close to the best bottom of the steak pan I've ever had in my life. Who knew.
Nashwa was happy, but she looked tired and talked about the pro bono work that she does. She's an imigration attorney. Jeff looked great, but he was also tired. He told us that he gets up at 3:30 a.m. to start work, because his wife doesn't want him to work at night. I teased him that I would be thinking about him already three hours at work, when I wake up at 6:30 a.m.. Of course his come back was, three billable hours while you are still wasting time sleeping. I was very tired driving in traffic to get to the dinner. I actually closed my eyes at one point in traffic and rationalized that the cars weren't moving anyway. Then I realized that this is probably what everyone who falls asleep on the freeway says and I got my toothpicks out.
The great thing about going to Law School at night was that we were all professionals--working people--self supporting adults. The day class had the feel of college--kids who still do their laundry at home. The bad thing now is that 22 years later, we are old.
P.S. Nashwa is my Quincy. As I approached them from the parking lot to get there, she exclaimed, "Kathy, you always look so happy and great." I was thinking, I am so exhausted that it's going to show on my face how much I don't want to be here, but of course after that greeting, I was in the best spot on earth.
posted by KathrynVH @ 10:45 AM
1 Comments:
At March 15, 2007 at 3:24 PM,
Anonymous said…
Oh how I envy you, getting together with your peers like that. It would give me great pleasure to be able to meet with those with whom I went to night school at Wayne State. We had few times to socialize because all of us had jobs. However, every now and then we met at a White Castle at about 11:00 at night to just talk. It was a great, soul rewarding time. After graduation we did not get together or even see one another, all too busy. Or at least that is the way I remember it. So, since there was no further contact, not a one, I will never be able to have a get together like that, as much as I would like to.
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