'The College Years'

Well here we are Ella Mae is a house mom/cook and I am a cook/house dad.  It's our first night in the apartment and we are about to be abruptly initiated into college life.  If you remember this is mid January and colder than a you know what and we decide to take a stroll down M street. We are immediately shocked to have a streaker run past us, than after reaching the end of the street, turn around so we can now say we have seen him coming and going and I really mean see, him!   If anyone remembers the George moment in a Seinfeld episode, shrinkage, should come to mind!   So we now realized we were not in Kansas anymore.  Oh how appropriate it was to have our inaugural night start this way, even if it was just a small thing.   In Pi Phi we were very fortunate to have a no alcohol policy.  Since this was a dry house the only drinks being served were the ones at the local pubs or the many frat parties that ran most every weekend.  This made for a very healthy atmosphere and safe home.  On the other hand I remember going to EM's house and my shoes were coming off as I walked the floors from the sticky beer residue from a weekend of consumption.  I always would kid with EM "whats wrong with this picture", "I work with rose petals consuming the air and you with the stench of stale beer piercing your nose.  Hey, who said life was fair.  When she first started at ATO it took some motherly persuasion and some tough love to get this house in order.  She became the DI (Drill Sargent) and step by step earned the respect of her 'boys.'  She eventually led them to see that disorder was not going to keep the 'brotherhood' intact.  She could cook and fill their stomachs, but more than that she needed to fill their heads with positive values and attitudes.  On top of everything else she also began to be given the responsibilities of the accounting and bill paying tasks.  She was also known to repair broken doors and even patch holes in walls that were very similar to a fist imprint, go figure.  These were young man and sowing their oats is a given.  I have to stop here and say that while we know alcohol is promoted endlessly in this culture, we wish it wouldn't be glorified to the degree it is.  It is one thing to have a couple of beers, but another to drink endlessly.  This is not news, drinking at college, duh...but we would sure love to see a more aggressive campaign to show that you can still 'party hardy' and remain sober.  We know that date rape can and does occur all too often and that bad decisions are made when someone is 'hammered'.  I won't even get into the 'pot smoking' that is also out of control.  Please know that I am only speaking in generalities and not about any particular person or place.  This story would not be factual if we did not mention these two drugs and their existence on campus, any campus!   I need to jump to this past November, EM has just prepared her annual Thanksgiving feast for all the brothers.  When all is ready, one of the boys says, "come on Mrs. B lets say grace".  Well now picture this group of young men sitting around a table, holding hands, heads bowed as Mrs. B prays.  This is a group of young men, yes, 'frat boys', for whom with all the distractions, took time out to become one.  This should renew your faith that we'll all be fine and the future is bright.....Since I kind of strayed into the faith topic, I must relate that on one year during Passover I prepared a traditional Seder meal for the girls.  It was such a beautiful sight to see Jewish and Gentile girls all sitting at that same table enjoying the meal as one....We were 'proud parents' for sure........
I will stop here as EM is just returning from prepping 2 bathrooms at her 'house'.  Now remember this is summer break, but that dosn't stop her.   Tomorrow, she along with our grandson, will paint those rooms.  That's my gal.....one of a kind!.....More insights and tales next time.....Thanks to all.....