Missing You
I went to college at a University that had a 3:1 ration--in the women's' favor. So, to make things fair since they had no suites for housing, they did male floors and female floors. However, since the ratio was a little slanted, my floor had half women and the rest men and community bathrooms. One bathroom was for us women, and of course the other for the men.
All in all this arrangement was just fine. Except when my grandfather came to visit and had to walk past the men's *side* of the floor and there were geeky engineering type boys leaving the restroom/showers in just bath towels and his first grandchild only lived 4 doors down the hall. You'd think the world ended... or the realization that I had suddenly become an adult. Either way, the scenario that unfolded was more than a bit embarrassing. I don't know it was either is authoritative demand, "Boys, clothing is NOT optional once you leave the lavatory. Get some clothes on." Or maybe it was when he shoved the guy from my Biology 1o1 class back into the bathroom door with his jacket in his face with an order to "put it on over that damn towel" that had me cowering in the corners of the hallway.
Sure, sure, it was all for my safety and his peace of mind that those boys could be trusted in the dormitories of the college that was known for binge drinking and parties. Or maybe it was so that he could show that he still had some balls. I mean, he was 70, I can imagine that he wanted to throw some weight around right? Sure. If he didn't decide to show up EVERY Saturday morning before dawn with the idea that I might want breakfast. Not that I didn't want it. As a poor college student, I loved the idea. Just not before Noon. And he always happened to call around 8am.
Funnier yet was the fact that when I finally got the hint--groggy phone calls and groans from myself over having him wait in the lobby for over a half hour for me to get my ass out of bed--he decided to arrive later. Thus, seeing the parade of boys (or half-men as he called them) strolling out of the community bathrooms in wrapped towels and a glisten of the morning shower.
Anyway, this whole sudden realizement of my grown up state changed things between him and I. It became more official and more grown up. He expected me at family dinners, to still treat him with respect, but also share with him "deep" thoughts beyond what my favorite celebrity of the moment was. And at the same time, he welcomed me into a bit of a grown up world, with nothing more than a smile and a nod. Especially when I brought my now husband (then only-a-friend) over for Easter Dinner. With a firm hand shake he asked the normal questions-- what's your major? Where you from? What's your life ambitions? And then when I left the room he asked the tough ones--Do you plan to date her? Why? You better stay true to her, my boy...
Ah, Grandpa. You were one of a kind.
All in all this arrangement was just fine. Except when my grandfather came to visit and had to walk past the men's *side* of the floor and there were geeky engineering type boys leaving the restroom/showers in just bath towels and his first grandchild only lived 4 doors down the hall. You'd think the world ended... or the realization that I had suddenly become an adult. Either way, the scenario that unfolded was more than a bit embarrassing. I don't know it was either is authoritative demand, "Boys, clothing is NOT optional once you leave the lavatory. Get some clothes on." Or maybe it was when he shoved the guy from my Biology 1o1 class back into the bathroom door with his jacket in his face with an order to "put it on over that damn towel" that had me cowering in the corners of the hallway.
Sure, sure, it was all for my safety and his peace of mind that those boys could be trusted in the dormitories of the college that was known for binge drinking and parties. Or maybe it was so that he could show that he still had some balls. I mean, he was 70, I can imagine that he wanted to throw some weight around right? Sure. If he didn't decide to show up EVERY Saturday morning before dawn with the idea that I might want breakfast. Not that I didn't want it. As a poor college student, I loved the idea. Just not before Noon. And he always happened to call around 8am.
Funnier yet was the fact that when I finally got the hint--groggy phone calls and groans from myself over having him wait in the lobby for over a half hour for me to get my ass out of bed--he decided to arrive later. Thus, seeing the parade of boys (or half-men as he called them) strolling out of the community bathrooms in wrapped towels and a glisten of the morning shower.
Anyway, this whole sudden realizement of my grown up state changed things between him and I. It became more official and more grown up. He expected me at family dinners, to still treat him with respect, but also share with him "deep" thoughts beyond what my favorite celebrity of the moment was. And at the same time, he welcomed me into a bit of a grown up world, with nothing more than a smile and a nod. Especially when I brought my now husband (then only-a-friend) over for Easter Dinner. With a firm hand shake he asked the normal questions-- what's your major? Where you from? What's your life ambitions? And then when I left the room he asked the tough ones--Do you plan to date her? Why? You better stay true to her, my boy...
Ah, Grandpa. You were one of a kind.
