Going away to college

I remember that hot August day, 1999: move-in day of my freshman year of college. Having moved in early in the day, I was then free to escape the chaos occurring on my floor and wander around worrying about where my next meal would be coming from.

F Street outside my dorm was a bustle of activity. 1000+ students would move in during that weekend, and with family/friends brought along for the move I could easily guess at least 4000 people passed through the doors, if not more. For most if not all of the students moving in, this would be the first extended time away from "the nest". The street was full of hugging families and the air full of “goodbye”s. I was one of the least homesick, but I can understand how it would be tough for many.

A scene on F & 19th stuck me and I remember it vividly even five years later. There was a guy and a girl embracing each other and bawling their eyes out. Three or four of one of their family members (I'm assuming) where standing a few feet back sobbing just as hard. With the situation on sight and what moans I could hear them saying to each other it was pretty obvious that of this boyfriend/girlfriend one of them was coming to school at GW and the other wasn't. Their tear-soaked goodbye, I can only imagine, was the end of days together back in the hometown and the beginning of some at least temporarily, and more likely substantial, time apart. The couple was trembling and shaking with emotion. "It's like a fairy tale..." observed one of the family members.

Being in a "macho" phase at the time, I mentally gagged myself. I didn’t think it was like a fairy tale. Actually, I still don't think so. I will concede that there were genuinely sad, though. For whatever reason that first year I sometimes thought back to that couple, and as is apparent I still am. I suppose the couple is on my mind because I wonder after all the theatrics if they're still together. I know maybe one high school couple that is still together at the present, and also so many couples going into college that didn't even make it through the first year. So, I find the situation ironic because those two wailing kids that were so sad to be away from each other probably didn't even stay together. I wonder what happened. Was it mutual? The common story is that one develops feelings for another and breaks it off. Alas, I'll never know how that little drama played out.

Again, I am just interested in noting the irony of the situation. I don't think they're losers or anything for showing emotion. Indeed, another reason I think the scene popped into my head again because I am preparing to say goodbye to my girlfriend of almost two years in about three weeks for a least two months' duration; we’ll be apart at least one year intermittent total (actually I just said goodbye to her this morning as she left home for a week and a half). I can tell you now I'll be sad during the goodbye scene, but there won't be a repeat of what I saw move-in day by either of us. I think we're both very confident that the distance won't be a problem and that after the next year we'll be together again. We're both leagues more mature than those two college freshman and I think thoughts of the future will be able to lend us sufficient hope and happiness in the upcoming year.