Nostalgia

I don't often wish for time to reverse and to be back in college. On the whole I found it a confusing time, rife with emotions and it is not without some embarassment on my part that I remember what I must have been like back then.

But some nights, I get a glimmer of that free spirited hope I had as an undergrad, when the world was full of possibilities and stolen romantic moments around every corner. Tonight I witnessed that glimmer. Walking through the quad tonight after class, I heard the sounds of a band set up almost in the dark. First I could just hear the low sounds of an electric bass, but as I got closer I noticed there were more guitars and several guys with husky voices. Nearby, just outside the library, people were wading in one of the fountains, half clothed, laughing and enjoying the warm spring night. And just beyond that a group was gathered cheering on a guy who had set up trashcans as skateboard jumps. Just as I passed them I heard cheers and applause - he had obviously conquered his challenge. And in that brief fleeting moment, I wanted to be 18, young and stupid again, looking forward to the rest of my life. No worries about bills, figuring out what to be when I grow up, worrying about where and when I would buy property and settle down to build a life. Just for a second, I wanted to go back.

Then I reached my car, and drove home.