blast from the past

we went out for steak tonight. we had a gift card left from christmas, and i didn't want to cook. no shock there. well, about 2/3 of the way through our meal, baby bear became restless. it was time to take turns eating. i finished my plate while hubby held our squirmy worm in his lap. by the time she got to my lap, she was ready to explore. the fireplace caught her eye, so we walked over that way. i felt a tap on my shoulder. "lauren?"

one of the waiters stood right next to us. he was an old friend from college. freshman year, he and his girlfriend would hang out in the freshman girls' dorm lobby and talk. when i was a RA, he was one of our front desk workers, and had the task of calling me to let in locked out residents at 3 a.m. on several occasions. he was an elementary education major, and always seemed like he would be a great teacher. our college lives had intersected through our activities and jobs, and though we were not close per se, i had considered him a friend. we went on mission trips together, including one to mexico in which we acted out parables as clowns in various parks over spring break. i returned home from that trip blowing volcanic ash out my nose for at least a week because popocateptl was a little bit active maybe 30 miles away from where we were. we talked about people from school that we'd kept in touch with, the usual things you talk about with someone you have not seen in a while and don't even know where to begin. especially when they are at work.

the really funny thing was that this afternoon, as baby bear watched a "wiggles" preview on a video, i thought of him. i guess it was the thin guy with dark hair, and the fact that the lead wiggle was an education major. while i can't picture this guy dancing on stage with the wiggles, something about them reminded me of him. i remember thinking, " i wonder what happened to so and so?" for a brief moment.

so there we were in the middle of a loud restaurant, me chasing my little girl, and this person that had crossed my mind appeared. this friend had known me when i had wondered when and if God would ever send Mr. Right my way. he had seen me at my best and close-to-worst in college, because lets face it- RA's give up caring about how we look late at night really quickly. I gave him a quick hug, reintroduced him to hubby, who he had probably met previously in passing, but did not go to college with us. of course, he met baby bear.

about 8 years after I had last seen this person, i was reminded of my life's seasons past. they were good, but the present, with its welcome surprises as well as challenges, makes me look forward to the future.