Reunion Day

The "bowl" of my alma mater

 Descending on the university wasn't as hard as seeing the city for the first time. Maybe because it seems less changed and still teaming with the summer life I remember from working on campus every summer while I was at university. I could completely see me sitting on the grass with my friends watching other students walking by and feeling a sense of infinite possibility.

The bowl

 Retracing my daily steps was a little more disheartening. What used to be campus food courts are now all fast food courts. Was it not cost effective for the university to produce its own food for students? The central meeting place "Place Riel" is way more chopped up and less conducive to sitting and watching students stream by, but I guess that they are building some more elaborate meeting place - but I hope that they realize that the beauty of Place Riel is that most people had to move through there to get anywhere. That was the draw - you could always look like you were moving through and not some desperado parked there for no reason. Way easier to save face and just casually be "there."

Looking at the Thorvalson from Arts and Science

Illustrious WCVM

The vet college was even more of a challenge. It felt the same, the same smell, the same skeletons, the same statues, the same lighting. I definitely had to fight back tears - just remembering how hopeful and wonderful everything seemed. Meeting my classmates was very easy. Places may arrest in a certain time showing the distance between then and now- but people bring you to who you were instantly. Maybe because we are all evolving and aging - it makes you feel like time has stopped once you start talking and hugging.  We are the same, different but the same. I was mesmerized by how unchanged most people seemed - very little signs of aging or the trials of life marking them. I know from talking to them that life has been challenging for everyone - terrible losses and illness and injury for some - but somehow they were all outgoing and happy. Despite the challenges of the profession - ignominious for the highest suicide rate of any profession - most people were still in their chosen field and doing well. Some are thinking of retirement (imagine that!) Very few are single, most have children, many own their own practices - some even have veterinary progeny. We were all amazed at that! Imagine children becoming vets - what were they thinking. One guy in my class has 2 children in vet college.
Of course you think of your own life when you are confronted with theirs - I too have loved the career. I feel lucky that I probably love animals and medicine even more now than when I started. I have been way less lucky in love then the rest appear to be - but maybe most single people avoid reunions. Who knows. People's children were mostly the centre of their lives and the thing are most proud of and worried about. Everyone talked about their children. Few talked about their working lives.

Group of happy 25th reunioners.

More happy reunioning

I have spent quite a bit of time interviewing local people that I meet and quizzing them about the differences in the city that I notice. One of the things that has intrigued me is the vibrancy of the bar and nightclub scene. This is what I remember from my youth - it made me think I lived in the centre of the universe because going out at night was always exciting and it was always hard  to get into any club, they were so crowded. Apparently there was a change for several years and there was no nightlife scene but now it is back with a vengeance. That made me feel happy. 

I have also been quite concerned by the poor condition of the yards around town - the entire Nutana area is mostly derelict lawns - so dried out, no flowers. I wondered if it is worry about water - but no -  apparently just waiting for rain. Though I do notice that downtown trees have huge garbage bag things at their base that are for slowly watering the trees. Most of my old homes do not have flowers in the front yards. I am now completely convinced that flowers are necessary for giving a home a sense of pride and vitality. They look so unloved and forgotten compared to how they were when I lived in them. 

Reunioning is very hard on the constitution on many fronts. I am just glad to have a couple of days to compose myself before any new demands.

Good old Bate Crescent