2002-03-03 - 16:00
here comes the sun

That big bright glowing thing in the sky has decided to make an appearance, maybe even stick around for a while. It's a really beautiful day out. I actually went outside without a jacket on. People are playing softball, tossing frisbees, studying out on the front lawn. It's not quite warm enough to start the nude sunbathing season, but it's definitely un-Portlandish out there. Yesterday was sunny too. I got no work done at all that afternoon--after lunch I took a leisurely walk up to Safeway and dallied on my way back, watching some people engage in mock battles on the front lawn.

Today I saw a large group of people milling about outside Eliot Chapel as I walked to the library. There were a bunch of children with their parents, but other miscellaneous groupings were there as well. They were all dressed nicely, but with widely varying degrees of formality. Some seemed to be holding programs for something. Some of the children were poking around exploring Arts Week projects; others were playing on the heating vent next to the main walkway. Another random student paused to take in the scene, and we speculated as to what the deal could be--maybe a wedding or a reunion or some kind. They all seemed to be friends, in any case, brought together by whatever somehow-campus-related cause, talking warmly amongst themselves, and the kids were certainly having fun. "Nice to see, anyway," the other student concluded.

On my way back from the library, I finally went up to one of the assembled people, a woman in a sundress holding one of the programs, and asked her what this gathering was. "It's a funeral service for a colleague of ours," she replied. She explained that the woman who had died had gone to school here, thus the service in our chapel (which otherwise hasn't seen a religious service in a while, as far as I can tell). She also pointed out the paper cranes being held by the kids who were playing on the heating vent, making them "fly;" they'd made the cranes for the service as a symbolic gift to the departed woman, who had apparently been very generous in life--"when you went to her house, you always left with some kind of present."

As she was talking about all this, the woman I was talking to never lost the friendly smile that she'd had even when telling me that she and her friends were here for a funeral service. She ascertained that I was a student, and we talked a little about how beautiful the place was, and she said she'd love to work here just to work in these buildings. The kids played on the lawn in their semi-formal wear. I mentioned to her that there was such an air of warm camaraderie around the gathering, I would never have guessed what had brought them together. She said, "Yeah, it's almost like... somebody's birthday party or something."

I said maybe that was the way it should be, and that it was very much the way we did things around here; she agreed to both. I figured it was about time for me to depart, being an outsider, however well-received, to this gathering, so we made the appropriate nice-to-meet-yous and I headed back to my room. I hope my funeral is like that--friends coming together in a beautiful place, children playing, somebody doing something creative in memoriam.

It reminded me of Benn Fayre last month, the day-long event held in memory of a student who died in a boating accident over the winter break. A normal school would (if it were small enough to decide to have a community-wide commemorative event at all) have had an assembly where everyone wore black and was quiet while members of the administration, who may or may not have known the sudent in question, spoke platitudes off an index card. (At least, that's what I imagine would happen. I don't know, since I don't go to normal schools.)

We had a day-long open-to-all-community-members party with a feast in the afternoon (shellfish-heavy, but with plenty of veggie options), a screening of The Big Lebowski in the Student Union, and dancing in the evening followed by soccer at midnight on the front lawn. That's how you do it, man. (For the record, if I kick the bucket while I'm here, I'd prefer A Hard Day's Night to The Big Lebowski. I would also accept The Muppet Movie or South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.) Sure, I hope that people are sad to see me go when I die, but I hope they say, as they said of the student we lost over the break, "This person loved life, loved people, inspired others; the fitting tribute to their memory is to make merry, create something, come together and be excellent to each other. Instead of stopping everything, we should do something special."

[edited 1/1/03]

test - 2017-10-08
boing - 2003-06-07
walk walk trudge trudge slog slog travel travel - 2003-05-21
ob-la-di - 2003-05-18
not dead. - 2002-12-08