Funny considering I had my recurring dream of being in college last night and getting assigned homework that I didn't do. That is interesting though, you're probably right on the name change reasoning. Uc had sororities and fraternities but the student body was so huge that nobody had too much of an influence, that's what I loved about UC.
Two weekends ago I made a spontaneous roadtrip to Providence, where I went to college, to hang out with one of my friends from undergrad. We hadn't seen each other in person in 28 years, and while we'd both been back to campus separately in the intervening years, it had been a while for both of us. She'd been back for our 10-year reunion, but not since then; I've never gone to a reunion, and she asked me why. I honestly said it's because I keep up with the people I want to keep up with, and I don't really want to know anything about anyone else - or have them know anything about me. I often feel like the social media age asks us to carry significant cognitive freight that would've been sloughed off in an earlier time through a process I like to call "sentimental drift" - allowing people to be relegated to memory without having to understand who they've become. Sometimes I want to remember that kid I knew in elementary school without learning that he holds opinions I find troubling, you know?
Love these insights, Michael, and especially the term "cognitive freight." I wish I had been better at keeping up with my friends in college who I did want to keep up with. Maybe I'll seek to renew some of those connections.
I've had the experience of reconnecting with people after long silences and I've generally found it to be incredibly nice and rewarding. One of my closest friends from high school sought me out last year on social media and I've been delighted at the fact that we've managed to retain the easy chemistry of our friendship even though literal decades have passed and we're both in very, very different lives now.
Which, I suppose, is the long way of saying do it!
I love this comment Michael. This is why I prefer substack over the other platforms. I get to meet people i have no prior connections with. Though I know if I had known you earlier on I would still have high thoughts of you! 😂
Funny considering I had my recurring dream of being in college last night and getting assigned homework that I didn't do. That is interesting though, you're probably right on the name change reasoning. Uc had sororities and fraternities but the student body was so huge that nobody had too much of an influence, that's what I loved about UC.
Two weekends ago I made a spontaneous roadtrip to Providence, where I went to college, to hang out with one of my friends from undergrad. We hadn't seen each other in person in 28 years, and while we'd both been back to campus separately in the intervening years, it had been a while for both of us. She'd been back for our 10-year reunion, but not since then; I've never gone to a reunion, and she asked me why. I honestly said it's because I keep up with the people I want to keep up with, and I don't really want to know anything about anyone else - or have them know anything about me. I often feel like the social media age asks us to carry significant cognitive freight that would've been sloughed off in an earlier time through a process I like to call "sentimental drift" - allowing people to be relegated to memory without having to understand who they've become. Sometimes I want to remember that kid I knew in elementary school without learning that he holds opinions I find troubling, you know?
Love these insights, Michael, and especially the term "cognitive freight." I wish I had been better at keeping up with my friends in college who I did want to keep up with. Maybe I'll seek to renew some of those connections.
I've had the experience of reconnecting with people after long silences and I've generally found it to be incredibly nice and rewarding. One of my closest friends from high school sought me out last year on social media and I've been delighted at the fact that we've managed to retain the easy chemistry of our friendship even though literal decades have passed and we're both in very, very different lives now.
Which, I suppose, is the long way of saying do it!
I love this comment Michael. This is why I prefer substack over the other platforms. I get to meet people i have no prior connections with. Though I know if I had known you earlier on I would still have high thoughts of you! 😂
You have NOT aged 20 years - you look exactly the same. That is not fair. And I'm sure you were plenty cool. If not, then look how far you've come!
Thanks, Linda. I appreciate the confidence boost!