I had a dream last night about the only "all nighter" study session that I ever had in college. I really did that. Once.
My old friend "Pugsly" and I decided that we were going to stay up all night and study for our exam! This was the first end of semester exam period of our Freshman year. It was the 80's. It was a crazy time! But I wasn't stressed in the least. It was his idea and Pugsly had never led me astray before.
I had been through midterm exams and those freaked me out more than I had ever been freaked out before. I got so upset about being worried about my exams that I called my Mom up and scolded her for raising me to have such a "worry gene." She laughed at me over the phone but I like to think that when she hung up with me, she was worried.
I finally called "Merph" a girlfriend of mine (in the traditional sense that she's a girl and we're friends) who was a Junior and had been through these "mid terms" before. In her best air-traffic-control-tower-operator-trying-to-talk-down-a-passenger-who-is-now-flying-the-private-plane-because-the-pilot-died-having-just-eaten-the-fish-dinner voice, she calmly and seriously said "okay, now, do you have a beer or can you get access to a beer or any sort of alcohol....." There was more to it, and I was able to find an emergency beer. Eventually I relaxed.
So anyway, "Pugsly" was, of course, his nickname and to this day, I do not know why he was given that name. He looked nothing like Pugsly from the Adams Family and he certainly didn't look like a Pug. I had no part in his nickname.
We lived on the same floor in a dorm with roughly 39 of us on the floor. I think there were 20 rooms shared by two roommates except that one room was a single where the RA lived. The RA (Residential Advisor) was essentially the "warden." Anyway, we shared one "community shower" that had like six spigots. Dorm life was not glamorous.
Of all of the guys living on our floor, almost all of them were from New Jersey. I could never figure out why so many people from that state would come south for college. I still don't get it. As best as I can tell, when I see how many people from New Jersey migrate south for college, I don't think there is anyone left to occupy New Jersey. But somehow there is.
My first roommate that semester was from New Jersey. I did give him a nickname; "Cockroach." He LOVED IT! I was not a big fan of him. He ended up switching rooms and moving in with another guy from New Jersey. His nickname was "Bonernose." I had no part in his nickname, but, it was pretty spot on. Bonernose was a nice guy as I recall.
To the best of my memory, I was not overly popular on my hall. It wasn't that no one liked me, I just didn't fit in and so I pretty much did my own thing. Pugsly and I were both from the same southern state, although I am a Chicago transplant myself, but that happened about ten years before college. So, in the eyes of all the New Jersey folks, we were both "Southerners." I was fine with this.
Anyway, Pugsly fit in. They liked him. He's a great guy. He always had the best spirit and wasn't shy, (I'm actually ridiculously shy, although when I tell people that, they laugh in my face). So, Pugsly seemed to be quite comfortable with watching out for me and making sure I was "in the know" with everyone on my hall. He'd invite me to join them on their adventures, and I would when I could, and he'd basically just make sure I wasn't too far out of the loop.
And whenever we'd go to a club (they were really just bars, but we were minors so, I'll refer to these as clubs), he'd always tell me after we got in "You point 'em out and I'll introduce!" And I'll be damned, he'd do it. I'd point to some cute little girl and he'd walk right up to her and a few minutes later she and I were laughing with each other bellied up the to club (bar).
I so admired his lack of fear. It wasn't a stupid lack of fear like "watch me stand up to this oncoming truck that cannot possibly see me standing in the middle of the road," but more his comfort with himself and ability to just talk to anybody with no apparent self-centered purpose. To this date, if I walk up to a girl I'm interested in, I'm lucky if I can get out two words that make sense. If I go for more than two words, I pretty much say EVERYTHING.
Yes, my defense for shyness is to just talk. People think that makes you "not shy" but no, it is really just a diversion. Really, it's like singing on stage. I had to do that a lot in my younger days. I actually have stage fright. However, if everyone was distracted by what I was singing, they wouldn't notice me. At least that's what got me through. The music was the diversion. Doesn't make sense to you? Works for me!
I learned to trust Pugsly and feel secure around him. No, not in a dreamy "his arms are so big and cozy and I feel safe when he holds me" type way as a.) I'm all about the ladies b.) he's all about the ladies and c.) it could never work because he was so much smaller than me; seriously, I don't think he could even get his arms around me. But, more in a "he was a good friend" way.
He was one of the first people in college I felt like I could be myself around and he wasn't going to give me a hard time about it. Really, back then he was a great guy. He may still be one now, but I don't know. We're just social network friends. I don't think we've actually spoken in 22 years. Nothing happened. College ended and he moved. It's not like that. Stop whatever it is that you're thinking....
I just hope he's not a real jerk now.
So when he said "hey man, let's pull an all nighter to study," I was all like "ok." I trusted his judgement.
And so, basically we studied a lot.
We went to the 7-11 across the street for coffee a few times.
I was so tired that I was dizzy when I took my exam and I only think I passed because the Graduate Assistant giving the exam felt sorry for me.
I swore to myself I would never do that again and I never did.
I didn't say the all nighter dream was a good dream... I just said that I had it.
Oh yeah, one of my nicknames in college was "Woody" because I had a '76 Volare Station Wagon with simulated wood grain paneling on the side.
There you go.
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