Waiting for Dinner

Celebrated my sorority's 105th anniversary on Mizzou's campus this weekend. I'll never tire of walking into 900 S. Providence. It was my home for three years in college, and despite some changes, it will always feel like home when I go back.

I love hearing stories from the collegians now (no one hangs out in the dungeon anymore?!) and from older alums (the mailbox room used to be a switchboard that freshman had to work?!). I love thinking about our shared history – girls sat in that house and listened to news about WWII on the radio, they watched the moon landing and followed news of JFK's death, and when I was there, I camped out in that room waiting for news that Obama had been elected President. That legacy is just staggering to me.

This weekend, of all the memories, the one that stood out to me the most was waiting at the top of the stairs for the dinner bell. Gathering around about 5pm, sitting on that green carpet, debating whether you wanted whatever variation of chicken we were having or just a big salad. Wondering what was for dessert. Hoping it was those giant chocolate chip ice cream cookies.

I don't know why that's what I was thinking of all weekend. There are a lot of things I knew I would miss about DG (Pinafore, milk on tap, bagels, the portico, the front yard, studying in the Heritage Room, watching E! at lunch, naps in the yellow room, etc.), but that act – the waiting on the stairs for dinner – was so mundane, so ordering, so boring at the time, I never even thought I would think about it again, much less miss it.