So, I'm in SeaTac, using the free WiFi, waiting for my connecting flight. I'm on my way home from ALA Annual, which is the librarian love-fest that happens every summer.
Professionally, this was a so-so conference. I went into ALA frustrated, so that colored my view of a few things. I was irritated with one of the programs I went to because it was just irritating. Another was fun but a little too been-there, done-that. And I missed John Irving, who I love, to go to it. So, yeah, kind of disappointing.
Other stuff was great. Interesting program on free sources for demographics (seriously). Another that was entertaining because a librarian at a very well-known business school turned out to be, well, not all that up on a few things. No one ridiculed her... at least not to her face. But I like the section I am involved with and I have been getting more involved at a higher level, and I like all those involved. They are level-headed, down-to-earth, and they know how to lead a meeting.
And the weather... Holy shit the weather was perfect. Sunny, 75... Glorious. At one point, I had twenty minutes between meetings. I went out to the roof-top deck of the convention center and laid on the concrete. I felt like my cat when he rolls around on the warm concrete. Except I wasn't rolling. I was just basking in the glorious, glorious sunlight.
And I saw Bobo. Who's Bobo, you ask? Bobo was a good friend in college. He was one of my roommates. We reconnected about ten years ago when he was just out of grad school, and I was half-way through. It was brief. We've emailed sporadically since then and kept up a bit on Facebook. He lives in southern California, and we were both excited about seeing each other, but it was tough making plans because of our schedules. After messaging back and forth, we found some time. We were both pretty determined to find at least one tiny bit of time to have a drink or two.
Bobo is one of those people who was in my life for less than a calendar year, and he was my roommate for only one semester. But during that semester we spent a lot of time just hanging out on the couch, talking about what we wanted in life. And doing other stuff. You know, like you do when you're 20 years old. And what he didn't know (until now) was how much that semester really made me look at myself and my life in a way I hadn't really considered. Simply put, he made me realize that this was my life and I had better make sure it was the life I wanted and that I live it the way I wanted to. And growing up in the Midwest, this isn't a common life outlook.
So, after 21 years, Bobo and I had our first legal drink together. And two hours was not enough. He asked me a few questions that I wasn't expecting (Are you seeing anyone? Are you happy with that?), and my answers, without hesitation and totally honest, were: "No." And "It depends on the day, but overall, yes. Very." And just like college, one simple conversation helped me realize that I am living the life I want, the way I want it.
And the blog post title? This was something my roommates would say to me when they'd see me walking. I'm short with very short legs, and I take two steps for every one that most people take. Back in school, my roommate Dag would slowly speed up when we were walking side-by-side, just so he could watch my little legs go even faster. When Bobo and I reached the steak house where we would be drinking (funny, since neither of us eat steak), he said, "I almost did that thing where Dag would speed up just to watch you walk faster. But I didn't." Yeah, thanks.
Oh, and there was food. Not as much as in the past, but there was some excellent vegan food. And a touristy trip to Hollywood. That will come later.
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