Going back to visit college and friends that are still in college is quite the experience. Stanford was such an isolated place. In fact, departments of Stanford isolate from the world and each other. There are very few opportunities for cross-pollination of intellectual vigor and resources.
This weekend I went back to watch the Rugby National Championship. I noticed the distinct smell of the dorms and dining halls. The unofficial dress code of plain t-shirts with colors and khakis. Wilbur dining is like a buffet line on a cruise ship... they even play the mood music. A smoothie station with 10 blenders awaits everyone on their arrival.
Frat houses have the guys with slightly different haircuts and the same architectual designs. Flomo has the distinct SLE vibe, a place where very few people that were not involved in SLE go, except for the dining hall. I'm glad I lived in a co-op for the last three years. I am glad that I traveled. Stanford is a great place o be nutured intellectually with a stable environment that one can count on, but it is a manufactured reality, not actual reality.
Going back reminds me of you. A playful spirit with no moral responsibility to other people. Delighting in fun and running from seriousness and depth. Only undersatnding the human spirit on a topical level. But this time was different... I met this girl who showed me that she could embody the best parts of you with the depths of consciousness of another's human experience. It was beautiful. And for all of the criticism that I have of my alma mater, I appreciate this place for cultivating people like her.
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