January, 1998.

DIARY

Such a strange year. Eventful in big spashy ways, not deep down dark ways. I think that was the year when Chicago had its worst blizzard in 35 years and I have to miss the first two days of classes because the U of C refused to close (bless 'em). My dad finally drove me back on the 3rd or 4th, but the trip took all day because he couldn't go more than 20 or 30 mph from Kalamazoo on. Still, assuming I have the right year, I remember walking in Hyde Park up Blackstone to 55th thinking (it's quite cold but not awful cold) and then the marquee on University Bank read six degrees.

Almost at once I was taking Readings in World Literature: Evil with Malynne Sternstein, the second semester of Democracy and Social Science, Calc 152, and Acting Fundamentals. I briefly considered majoring in math, which I thought would flesh out my career as a playwright and director... give me a better sense of perspective. Which shows, a little tragically perhaps, how naive I was and how early it actually was.

It was never until now that this really started to seem long ago.

At the end of the month I took my first big walk alone in Chicago. Up Ellis and the Lake Park to 39th, then back along the lake to 50th. Forget Chicago itself, that was my first encompassing look at Hyde Park, and I was genuinely surprised how big that little neighborhood really was, and how much stuff it managed to squeeze in up by the lake. My goodness!

I found a guys wallet and called him and left it for him at the BJ front desk.

The following weekend, Armand, Karen, and Buffy and I went back to Flint so I could see a show at FYT. We went to the planetarium and played Hearts all night, and visited Paul, and drove around looking for something to do. We were mostly unsuccessful. It was the first time I'd hosted out-of-towners, and I didn't really know yet how to show them a good time in Flint.

Where were you in January, 1998?

END OF POST.