life

Harvard Nostalgia

It’s funny that when I was at Harvard my goal was to get the f&ck out as quickly as possible. I remember counting down days to graduation and having it on my door in the dorm so that everyone knew that I was very much counting my “days to freedom”. I told my family to have the truck ready so that right after graduation we could get to driving and I would be in a different zip code a s soon as possible. I didn’t buy Harvard TShirts when they came around - or buy any paraphernalia when I left. It was a few weeks after I had graduated that I realized what leaving meant. I had taken it for granted that I could walk across the quad and see “Way” and “Lo” Acting foolish. I could go across the hall to A’s room. We could go down to Northhouse cafeteria and wait to see who came through that wanted to hang out.

As important a role as these people played in my everyday I lacked the insight to realize that this was not the way things would remain. I haven’t seen some of my “Boys” in 12 years. when one of them get’s married it’s a trip across the country. I’ve watched some of my card playing friends and my drinking partners grow into these amazing people. I read about them in Newsweek and Black Entrepreneur, the Harvard Law Journal and various other places. It’s funny that when we were in that vacuums we did not have appreciation of each others’ talents. we were a bunch of kids with egos trying to get by. It’s not until I read news articles about some of my close friends that I realize that by being so close to them I was unable to appreciate their talent and their potential. I joked with them and we got each other home after the wildest of nights(yeah we had wild nights at H. U.) but I don’t think we ever backed away and thought to ourselves about what it is that got this person in over the thousands of other applicants. It took newspapers and strangers to make me realize who so many of my friends really were.

Like I said-nostalgia is kicking in. we’re over 10 years out- something that I never imagined. I’ve been through quite a bit. I’ve gone from pre-med to dream chasing to being a physician who has a hobby that pays well(Me and my Flex). It dawned on me the other day that the first year of my residency (the transition year) is nearly over. I’m looking at when the next reunion is scheduled and realizing that I should have spent less time counting down and more time making memories.

© 2007 diamondTearz.