RANDOM NOTES ON A COLLEGE GIRL’S REUNION
How I met Suse for the first time:
We were sitting on the floor of the dorm room, playing guitar. I turned to Suse and said, “Do you know Alice Cooper?”
“Why yes,” she said. So we played and sang:
“I’m 18 and I don’t know what I want.
18…I just don’t know what I want.
18…I gotta get away. I gotta get outta this place.
I’ll go runnin’ in outer space, oh yea.”
That was 42 years ago.
Today we talked about new recipes…mixed
greens, cashews, sliced avacado and chopped bananas drenched in honey mustard dressing (really, chopped bananas?) “Come to supper, my sweet coven girls, ” our host said.
Suse popped a cork on another bottle of wine, and Lindy said,
“Why, I’d like that sound to be the ring tone on my phone.” We went all-exotic sitting around the campfire, assembling S’mores with Ritz crackers instead of graham (for the salty/sweet dichotomy).
“Wow, these S’mores are mind-blowing.”
“Depression hurts; let’s do yoga.”
“You soak your feet in Polident? Good as a pedi? Really?”
We sat out on a rocky boulder formation, gazing into the wide Colorado sky, and talked about the big divorce, the road less traveled, chronic illness, the road not taken, ailing parents, how we don’t have bucket lists…we just do it. How to grow tomatoes. The hottest topic of the day: climate change….and how, the next time we meet, we’re going to read poetry and sit naked in the hot tub till midnight.
Remember the fly on the table at the Blackstone Bar (circa
1972)? It looked gi-normous rubbing its whopping proboscis in my puddle of beer. Remember how it felt to laugh so hard you almost pee’d your pants? I think we were in an altered state of consciousness that night. I’m sure of it. And then, the heavy questions: What is the role of nature in the world, how are we a part of, and how are we apart from, the whole of nature? Our major god is nature, we nodded, and we love her very much. Here are the pros and cons of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shamanism, Kung Fu-ism, and 1019 S. Main Street Coven-ism. Just pick one and begin to train your mind.
1972)? It looked gi-normous rubbing its whopping proboscis in my puddle of beer. Remember how it felt to laugh so hard you almost pee’d your pants? I think we were in an altered state of consciousness that night. I’m sure of it. And then, the heavy questions: What is the role of nature in the world, how are we a part of, and how are we apart from, the whole of nature? Our major god is nature, we nodded, and we love her very much. Here are the pros and cons of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shamanism, Kung Fu-ism, and 1019 S. Main Street Coven-ism. Just pick one and begin to train your mind.
“Good morning my darling bluebirds; let’s go kayaking today.”
We remembered when girls couldn’t play Little League simply
because, well, they were female. I perused the room and said: “Oh my. Sitting before me is a roomful of incapable women, right? …social workers, therapists, mothers, writers, photographers and marketing wizards, that we are.”
because, well, they were female. I perused the room and said: “Oh my. Sitting before me is a roomful of incapable women, right? …social workers, therapists, mothers, writers, photographers and marketing wizards, that we are.”
We remembered when we attended a lecture by Anais Nin, the
French born novelist who wrote passionate erotica and short stories. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are,” she said.
French born novelist who wrote passionate erotica and short stories. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are,” she said.
We all agreed Marge Piercy’s, Small Changes and The Moon is
Always Female, re-directed the trajectory of our lives, forever.
Always Female, re-directed the trajectory of our lives, forever.
“I think I see green space junk,” one of us said, flat on her back while
viewing the heavenly night sky through a bank of spacious skylights in the host’s Cowgirl Bunkhouse. One toke over the line, sweet Jesus.
viewing the heavenly night sky through a bank of spacious skylights in the host’s Cowgirl Bunkhouse. One toke over the line, sweet Jesus.
Art makes you feel happy and free and creative and loved…so
the next day we visited every gallery in town.
the next day we visited every gallery in town.
Lindy noticed how I travel light. “Man, all she’s got is a sandwich bag on a stick.” Yep. I still travel light to this day.
We agreed that Molly is the sweetest dog on the face of
the earth…she’s a “leaner”, and we all wanted to take her home with us.
the earth…she’s a “leaner”, and we all wanted to take her home with us.
And we all agreed the Women’s Movement is NOT over
until women are no longer beaten, rejected, scorned and treated like second class citizens, still, to this day, in countries all over the world. Women should enjoy the indelible right to sustainable employment, healthy food, clean water and education for themselves and their children. Until they are treated like valuable human beings, we still fight for human and women’s rights, for the benefit of our sisters everywhere
until women are no longer beaten, rejected, scorned and treated like second class citizens, still, to this day, in countries all over the world. Women should enjoy the indelible right to sustainable employment, healthy food, clean water and education for themselves and their children. Until they are treated like valuable human beings, we still fight for human and women’s rights, for the benefit of our sisters everywhere
What we’ve learned: After all these years of trials and triumphs and self-improvement and dark-night-of-the-soul prayers and falling in love, and falling in the gutter, and picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off…we have not changed all that much.
Deep in our hearts, we are still the same life-loving girls and we pledge to face our dangers, hold each other’s hands and continue riding the arousing Carousel of Happiness for as long as we are given.
With thanks, we say goodnight, from the Cowgirl Bunkhouse in Wondervu, Colorado, circa 2013.
Dedicated to the absentees: Lisa, Richards and “Skin”
Dedicated to the absentees: Lisa, Richards and “Skin”
Ah, sweet girl, I love that you made this fine tribute to the Coven your blog today. A truly priceless gift. The top bunk and S'More coat hangers await your return.
The Moon is Always Female whispered its way into my heart, too. What a delightful blog. Sweet friends whom the moon has blessed with stories spiraling through generations of courageous connections.
Cheers to our next destination!
Ritz crackers, really?
I am in.
xo S
Oh, the moon. It follows us everywhere!
I haven't tried this one yet: replace the Hershey chocolate with a Reese's peanut butter cup. Decadent.
Well, what do ya know. I heard from one of the "men" at 1026 University St…42 years later!