January, 1995
with: My "big sister," her boyfriend, and a friend of his...
Meredith College has the Big Sister/Little Sister program. A Freshman girl is assigned a Junior girl to help her get acclimated to this place called college. Nine out of ten times, she gives you a plastic cup with your name painted on it with little dots all cutesy. I got three of them the first day I was there.
When our Resident Hall leader told us to wait a minute while she got a surprise for us, I turned to the girl in line in front of me and said, "If it's another plastic cup with Page spelled Paige I swear I'll spit in it." She laughed, pretty hard. Go figure-it was a cup-I kept my word.
Most of the big sisters gave up after a month and only saw their little sisters at Cornhuskin' when we competed against the sophomores/seniors, but that is another blog post and I'm not putting it here. MY big sister, seemed to take me on like a little project. I couldn't get rid of her. There she was, and there she was again.
She kept going sophomore year-and she was always trying to fix me up. I kept saying no, I don't do frat boys and she kept saying try this one, try that one. My favorite: "Let me set you up with this guy. He is in a frat but doesn't pass out." If that is the only nice thing you can say about a boy, then stay home and watch Melrose Place with your hall mates.
Reluctantly, I agreed to go out with her and her boyfriend and one of his friends-once. They wanted to go to the Cinema grill and see Forrest Gump. The movie theater was a restaurant with tables and menus and you ate while you watched a film. Good concept. I agreed to this nonsense and hoped whoever her boyfriend's friend was would at least not pass out drunk at the table.
I had already seen Forrest Gump once in Greensboro. I have to be in the right mood for Forrest. There is no middle road for me and Forrest. I either love him or I hate him. Sometimes it will come on television and I'll gripe, "not this again. Please no more shrimp, please no boxes of chocolate, please, please no more Jenny..."
Other times I'll watch it, and I'll burst into tears, "He is not a smart man but he knows what love is..." Sob... His mother was dying and he stopped what he was doing.." Sob....
Sometimes I can't help but be impressed with Forrest. I wish I could re-tell all the stories of my life to anyone anywhere and not crack a smile.
This might have been the last of the movies that everyone everywhere goes to see. My grandparents went to see this movie in the theater. Page and Fred in a movie theater-it was probably the last time they ever did that.
This particular night I was in the mood for the movie but not the frat boy small talk. I forced it. I smiled, I answered the questions.
"What's your major?"
"Spanish"
"Cool-are you going to study abroad?"
"Yes, next year, in Spain."
"I hope you like tacos."
See, right then and there, I knew Forrest Gump would have never asked that. I just kind of smiled and then watched Forrest shake hands with president after president.
To be honest with that boy now, there were tons of great Mexican restaurants in Spain.
Please don't be shocked, but I didn't go out with him again.
What sticks with me and Forrest now is the long distance run. Sometimes you just need to run to clear your head. Nothing has helped me more in my life than long, long runs. I don't think I need one as long as he did, but there were a couple of times last year that eleventh mile really helped me accept what I could not change.
Just remember that running is helpful, running away is not-know the difference.
Kind of like a taco and gazpacho....
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