Many moons ago I attended (and yes graduated) from Dawson College in Quebec. I won’t discuss the educational system in Quebec because it’s too long to explain. Suffice it to say the province figured out how to keep young adults out of the job market for two more years, while being able to ‘track’ (for lack of a better word) students into different career paths. The school system is not what I’m here to talk about.
My third day at Dawson I went to a creative writing class. During this first class the teacher wanted us to break into pairs and we had to interview each other about our lives then take the information and turn it into a short composition which we had to read to the class. In this way we would all get to know a bit about one another. So the entire class was shuffling about breaking up into pairs and I just sat there. I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t particularly want to know anybody. I certainly didn’t want to interview anybody. I was trying to figure out how to get to the door unobserved. After a moment or two the teacher asked who did not have a partner. Two people raised their hands. George and Myself. Turns out George and I had a lot in common. 1) We had both been in the school for three days. 2) George was the first person I had spoken too since being in the school, and I was the first person George had spoken too since the first day of school. 3) Neither of us really wanted to be there. 4) Neither one of us were very talkative and didn’t have much to ask or respond to in our interview. 5) We pretty much agreed that the redhead a few seats down was incredibly easy on the eyes.
However we had to produce something so we interviewed each other. Fifteen minutes later both interviews were done. George brilliantly noted, “It is pretty sad when you can sum up your life in five minutes”
That is how I have felt these last few posts. I have so much to draw on yet it is so hard to write, so hard to come up with a topic. Many nights I sit and worry about what I’m going to write next. I don’t believe I’ve missed a Sunday or a Wednesday yet, but my wife will tell you it has come close. Many a nights I sit in front of a blank page thinking, “Forty Four years, there has to be something to write about.”
In the past it has taken three days to write a post. A few moment to get the idea on the page, and then days to shape it into something. Posts still take three days(ish) to write. But now it is three days of thinking about what to write and then a panicked hour of writing to meet my self-imposed deadline. I’ve been at this for about five months now. Will I have the steam to continue? I’m not so sure, but I shall continue to try.
Whatever happened to George?
A group of us at Dawson became friends (my ex-wife was one of those people, but thats another story) and we stayed friends throughout University and then some. Sadly I lost track of all of them about twenty years ago, (my ex-wife about thirteen years ago).
What happened to the redhead?
Suzanne was part of that group of friends. I was far to intimidated to ask her out, George did manage to sum up the courage and the two of them were together for many years. They are both still good friends with each other but have moved on.
A few months ago I was able to locate George on Facebook and through him I was able to track down Suzanne. We exchanged a few emails caught up a little, they are both friends on my Facebook but that’s about it. I don’t have much contact with either one of them. But it is nice to know they are there.
PanningForGold 