We all know the maxim “It’s a small world.” Although this isn’t geographically true (though I guess compared to the rest of the universe or even the Milky Way, Earth is a small world) it certainly held true for me this weekend in Boston. This was a weekend of Bates and a weekend of bizarre connections- one after the other.
It all began this past Friday night when a former Batesie was turning 25. His girlfriend (also a Batesie) hosted a party for him to which Jordan and I were invited along with a few of our Bates friends in the Boston area. To add to this Bates people mash one of Jordan’s old friends from Bates was coming up from NY to visit for a night and to attend the birthday bash.
So we began the night by heading to our friend’s (another Bates grad) apartment for a delicious Italian dinner and to meet up with the visiting NY Batesie. We then all piled into Jordan’s Mini which is always quite the event. Before leaving the house Jordan took me aside and said, “I know you’re the tiniest but you’re the queen. Therefore you shouldn’t be afraid to take the front seat.”
It’s true. I get afraid to take the front seat in the Mini because I usually am the tiniest. Therefore I feel guilty when people have to squeeze into the back. But really, I am the queen, and as a woman I recognize that I need to take what’s given to me with a zealous energy- bigger salaries, the front seat of the Mini- I want it all!
Anyway, we drove to the party (me sitting in front) and it was a total trip from the moment we entered the apartment. I saw people I hadn’t seen since I was a freshman at Bates. I ran into Mitch Cote-Crosskill who told me he had read my blogpost about his book. I was mortified. I guess I was mortified because I didn’t think anyone read my blog besides my parents and roommates. I mean, Jordan doesn’t even read it regularly.
So, when Jordan said (a bit intensely if you ask me, he has this thing about the internet and privacy) “Of course he read it, you’re surprised about that? You put it on the internet!” I was philosophically dumbfounded. Yes, in theory I know my blog is online for all to see but in practice it doesn’t feel that way. I mean, I haven’t gotten offered one book deal. So needless to say I was surprised and slightly mortified at having had someone I wrote about actually read my blog and now I am intensely considering what I write in case someone who doesn’t have to love me because they birthed me or are my best friends reads it and gets offended.
But anyway, I met all these kids I hadn’t seen for forever- caught up on some Bates gossip and left the party with plans to meet Batesies for brunch at my favorite diner the next morning.
Meeting at the diner- we all ate eggs and pancakes and talked about jobs. Jordan aptly pointed out that everyone at the table happened to be employed and we took a moment of silence to recognize that amazing fact. I found out that one of the people I was eating with lived with Hamilton students who were the friends of one of my good friends from home (CT) who is also living in Boston currently. A mouthful, no? Small world.
Upon leaving the diner NY Bates boy, our Bates friend, Jordan, and I went to a craft show the South End that I had seen advertised one day at work. It was held in a large area of art galleries- a cool area, I plan to go back there when it’s warm.
I personally liked the craft fair because there were lots of knitted things and jewelry. There was also a brownie stand (yes, a brownie stand) and I bought an amazing peanut butter brownie, which I ate all of right after the egg and pancake breakfast and thought I was going to go into a food/ diabetic coma in the middle of the craft show.
Our NY Bates friend was at least interested by it- he’s a photographer by trade. I don’t think Jordan loved it but he wouldn’t begrudge me my craft time. Our other mutual friend didn’t like it so much. In fact, I think he called it “excruciating.” He’s a computer dude- he likes Macs, not wuwu 40-year-old women making scented soaps and rings with rocks the size of a half dollar. Even I must say, I would have enjoyed it a bit more if there were a stand where I could have gotten a needlepoint pattern of kittens in a field or a paint-by-numbers of the Pope. But oh well.
After the craft show as I was munching on my brownie we decided to check out some other galleries. This is where I got my next Bates shock of the weekend. One of the studios had the name William Pope.L on the door. “Look, look!” I cried to Jordan. “It’s Pope.L! That’s crazy!” Jordan couldn’t see the sign at first as he’s rather blind but finally after emphatically pointing for a while he noticed. We decided to check it out. The gallery was enclosed by a tarp- of course Dave and Jordan went right in (the artists of the group). Our other Bates friend was hesitant as was I (I’m afraid of authority and trespassing). “It’s under construction guys,” he said. “We shouldn’t go in.” It turned out the tarp was part of the piece (I don’t understand art at all). Here are some photos Jordan took of his exhibit (This is after I said “Oh, crap! I should blog about this! I wish I had my camera!” Luckily his fancy phone IS a camera!):
Pope.L is a teacher at Bates who is well known for his work with color and race. Though I’ve never taken a class with him, some of my friends have and I’ve enjoyed going to the performance art pieces his students put on each year at Bates.
Finally, after the Pope.L experience, we went into some more galleries, got locked in a staircase, and escaped through an emergency exit (it was an emergency). At that point we said goodbye to our NY friend who was traveling home and parted ways.
I still can’t get over how much my weekend was infused by Bates. Batesies really are everywhere. In fact, one is training me for my new job. Also, I almost crashed on my way to work last week trying to see who was driving an SUV with a Bates sticker on it. Trying to spy on your college’s alums while driving- more dangerous than texting. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Shhhh,
Steph



