Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Role models. I has them.

Not real role models, because frankly I think the entire idea of role models indicates a weakening of the parent/child relationship that is becoming all too common in our society, but that’s neither here nor there.

I should have said, I know who I want to be when I’m really, really old.

There are these two older ladies (really older, like 70s- one has a grandson who’s already a lawyer and the other has a granddaughter who’s starting medical school.) They take my bus, and last semester, they audited my Egyptian civ class, but I didn’t really ever talk to them (except when one was reading Nefertiti, when the bookseller part of me screamed, “OH MY GOD ISN’T THAT AMAZING!?!?!” *ahem*) Anyway, they showed up in my British history class, too, and since they’re massively and unnervingly friendly, we started talking.

Two things- they’re kind of amazing, and they’re also kind of stalking the professor.

No. Really. They adore him. Like they already know what he’s teaching next year. And I’m really hoping it’s kind of an intellectual adoration, because otherwise, um, eww.

This morning one goes, “Do you love him as much as we do???” in a breathless voice. My first thought was, “Dear God, no. But this is going in the blog!” but instead I bit my lip and choked out, “Um…I really like the class!” and confined the laughing party to my head.

But after that they started talking about their lives. They both got married very young and never thought about going to college, so now they take classes and travel.

And wow, I’ve never been so simultaneously jealous and grateful in my entire life. Despite the fact that I think feminism is a crock, I am so lucky that I live in a time when it’s understood and accepted that I can do whatever the hell I want to. Get married? Now? Hells no.

But then they started talking about their travels, to Germany and Greece and Italy and how they’re going to be in Switzerland in April and that’s why they won’t be in class lol!!! And I kind of just wanted to throw my notebook at them. Because if I miss a class in April??? Chances are there was a freak snowstorm and I’m in a ditch somewhere on Lake Drive, I’m deathly ill, or- wait- we did discuss going to Ohio to visit the invalid nun.

Hell. Maybe I should be lusting after the professor. I have no trip to Switzerland to look forward to.

(P.S. One of their sons is a lawyer who is taking early retirement so he can go back and get a history degree. Okay, God, I get it. I’ll reconsider the law school thing.)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Am I to understand from this post that a trip to Ohio will not be quite as exciting as a jaunt to Europe this spring????? Sad to say, but we may not even be able to afford the trip to Ohio - and she is ill so I really would like to go....anyway, if Ohio for ill familiy is in question, I'm thinking that Europe might not be on the agenda this season....but, maybe when you retire and are just auditing classes for the pleasusre of learning....you and some wealthy friend...jetting around the world....I think these ladies sound fantastic -- they could be sitting home in their rocking chairs complaining about their medications or their ailments but they are on a bus to school to learn - that is just great!! I'd like to do that --- but I can't -- I have to sit home and complain about my ailments:) --- I never imagined this would happen when I was at your school a few decades ago!!!!!:) Maybe next year.....:)

Anonymous said...

I would rather go to Ohio than Europe:):):)

CMT said...

Let's drop out of college and get married to factory workers and travel when we're old and fat. LEZ DO IT.