Friday, December 5, 2008

Dorm Room; Blog Room


Then: Roughly [insert ridiculously high number here] years ago, I went off to college. I looked a lot different than I do today. I had long, long, black hair – so long that it hung over the backs of the school desks and sometimes got caught in bolts. I wore bell bottoms and my girlfriends and I promised each other we’d never wear the dreaded straight legs. I weighed a lot less. I drove a gold Camaro. My favorite group was LoverBoy. And, the best thing about going off to college was living in the dorm and making new friends. I attended a Christian college. My room-mate was a spunky barrel-racer who rodeoed during the weekends and who took me home with her sometimes so that I could learn to bale hay, milk cows, and ride a horse (I do have a funny horse story – there’s even a cute hero in it, but I didn’t marry him). Across the hall was one of my best friends. She was a leader. She did yearbook and such. Because of her, my name is on the yearbook. I learned to cut and paste and crop. Her room-mate became a great friend of mine. She was the tallest girl on campus and played sports with ease. She took me home with her, to Montana and I learned to ski (Okay, I learned to fall). Down the hall, there were so many different personalities, so many smiles, so much potential for friendship.

Now: Roughly one month ago this blog started to come together. In so many ways, it reminds me of the first time I walked down the hallway of my college dorm. Excited girls on both sides (Okay, today they're women). Yup, I’m there, too. Today I have shoulder length black hair (I dye it red, the gray goes red, and I have this neat highlighted color.) I wear suits during the day (college professor) and stretch jeans and baggy shirts most of the other times. I have in-between clothes for church and conferences. My best friends and I are a little embarrassed about our bellbottom days, and today we love straight legs (it could be that chubby women should never, I repeat, never wear bellbottoms). I weigh a lot more (no, I’m not telling). I drive a Rav4. It was purposely purchased with baby in mind. Said baby is now 3. My favorite group is Rascal Flatts. And today, one of the highlights of my day is coming to this blog room and making new friends.

Look, They're all here. Do you see the potential in this room. And, excitement. Just like the first day.

I look to my right and I definitely see a cheerleader. Look at that big smile. She’ll definitely rah rah our sales and her own and she lead as we thank the Lord for his blessings. Look, there’s her roommate. Yup, she already getting ready for the semester. She’s setting in front of her computer, not doing homework, but working on that next book. So much dedication; what an example. She’ll offer advice on plotting, characterization. We’re so lucky she’s here. Ah, here’s another friend. She’s an organizer. She’ll help make sure everything gets done. The ideas that woman has. Ah, I see someone I know. I room with her an a different dorm. She’s always willing to pitch in. Plus, she’s not afraid of anything. If the light go out in the blog room, she’ll find the switch. And there’s another friend. I’ve known her for a decade, since we both were first published at a different house. Small world, too, one of her best friends is in my critique group. I guess she’s destined to be a friend since our paths keep crossing. Oh, just look to the right. Do you see? The gangs all here, smiling, waiting, ready to cross the line to friendships both on and off the blog.

I don’t remember who said this: If you have a friend, you’re lucky. It you have more than friend, you’re more than lucky.
Thank you, God, for making all of us more than lucky.

18 comments:

  1. Wow, Pam. That was such a cool post and brought back memories of my days in college. Back then I was a music major. Bell Bottoms were out and straight legs were in. Of course, these days my girls wear "flared" jeans, not bell bottoms. But the "skinny jeans" are coming back. Good friends and a great place to hang out.
    Lisa
    www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com

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  2. I can't believe you mentioned Loverboy. They were one of my favorite bands 'back in the day.' I had forgotten all about them. I used to listen to them on my way to U of A. That's too funny.

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  3. Ah, Pamela, we must be about the same age! LOL

    I'm also very excited about the dorm--I mean blog! :) It's great getting to know everyone.

    And we look so foward to getting to know the readers!!

    Missy

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  4. What a delightful comparison, warm and homey. Congratulations on the new book. I've added it to my wish list. :-)

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  5. Great post! LOL I so looking forward to this blog and what we hope to accomplish with it!
    My hair used to be to my waist and I wanted it to be longer but it just wouldn't get any longer but boy do I remember snagging it on bolts and all kinds of other things.
    Debra

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  6. I never wore bell bottoms due to the fact that my mother made all my clothes even in college. But I only lived in a dorm for a year and I was older than most of the girls there.
    I'm looking forward to reading this blog and getting to know everyone in the "dorm".

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  7. Lisa, Oh my, I didn't just have bell bottoms, I had something called Elephant Ears. They were mega-flared.
    Carol, I saw LoverBoy in concert. They were the front band, at the time, for Ozzie Osbourne. Yup, I saw Ozzie when he was young. Nowadays, I think "Ick!"
    Missy, I bet we are about the same age. Sooooo, why do you look younger!
    Judy, Oh, thanks so much for putting me on your wish list. You made my day.
    Debbie, I'll bet you remember having to flop it over you head and wash it in front of you. After I first go it cut, I wasted so much shampoo because I couldn't get used to using just a little. I got it cut, because my docter said it was giving me headaches.
    Ellen, you're an honored guest in our dorm room :) Now, make brownies :)

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  8. I loved this post. Brought back nostalgic memories. I wore bell bottoms and thought that they were cool. Also had veyr long, straight hair. Thanks

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  9. Travelor,
    Yup, long straight hair. I remember when I read Go Ask Alice. She ironed her hair. I so wanted to iron my hair but it was so straight never needed to. I'm part Native America: Black Foot. So, not only is my hair black, it's straight and heavy. When perms were in style, the stylist always had to apply two, and then the perm maybe lasted a week.

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  10. I loved the post, Pamela! I want pictures now of both phases. *G*

    What a great way to look at our writer friends.

    I look forward to reading more,
    Paige

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  11. Pamela - ummmmm I'll make brownies but I'm not sure anyone will eat them. The one think I've never been able to do is bake.

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  12. Oh, boy, I don't care if Ellen's brownies aren't the best -- I'll eat ANY brownies, anytime!

    And Pamela, it's such fun recalling the friendships of Dorm Days...thanks for a good dose of nostalgia.

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  13. WriteLife,
    I'll have to learn how to scan. Truthfully, those dorm days I was all hair in the face and wearing of black.
    Ellen,
    if celery tasted like brownies, I'd be thin.
    Laurie,
    I still miss the dorm days.

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  14. I attended a business college that required us to wear dresses so needless to say I was thrilled to wear pants. Our styles always make for so much fun when we look back into the photo albums and ask ourselves if we really wore that. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
    Terry

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  15. Terry,
    My first four years of teaching, I taught at a private school and had to wear dresses. I taught kindergarten. I was soooo glad when they changed the rules and I could wear slacks. I can't tell you how many times I crawled the floor in my nylons or how many pairs of nylons I went through in a week!

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  16. You never told me you knew how to bale hay :) We could have used this skill!

    Cathy Mc

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  17. Cathy,
    Cathy McDavid, hmmm, I probably should admit that my job was to stand in the pick-up and when they threw the bales up, I had to stack them. I wore these heavy, thick gloves, and still the wires bit into my skin. At the end of the day I could barely make a fist. The only job harder is camp counselor for third graders.

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  18. My younger son was SO embarrassed when I wore my bell bottoms. He even went to the extent to beg me not to wear them anymore. That was while he was in his teens and worried about what his piers might say.
    Now, ask him and he'd probably say he still doesn't like them but he wouldn't ask me not to wear them.
    I never had the "Dorm Room" experience. Thanks for sharing.
    I'm thankful for my truest friend, Jesus.
    Pam Williams
    cepjwms at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete

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