Begin at the Beginning to Get to Now!

Since I was 11 years old I thought SIU (Southern Illinois University) was the most beautiful university!  The first time I was there without an adult, my 8 year old sister and I took the bus from Carterville to "Old Campus".  It was a seven mile trip and we were riding with college students.  I felt very independent and grown up!   When we arrived on the campus I felt like I was back in Europe.  (I had spent 1 1/2 years in France and 2 years in England as a military dependent.) I stood in awe of the old buildings and beautiful landscaping.  The trees were huge and shaded lovely benches to sit and read.  There were flowers and hostas everywhere.

We went into the first building for our class in Spanish.  It smelled old and the staircase was of dark polished wood.  Our class lasted 2 sessions because my sister and I decided we were much smarter than the professor! He was speaking Castilian Spanish and we had lived in Southern California for the last 2 years.
We decided not to tell Mom we had dropped out and we would explore, an adventure.  My Mom was always having adventures with us when we were younger, but that is a story for another time!

We went from building to old building exploring every cranny.  Always the smell of the old wood and books. Our 2 favorites by far were the library and U School (the university teaching school).  We liked to walk down the halls at U School and try to find the reliefs on the outside of each classroom. They were depictions of nursery rhymes and each one would spark a singing of that rhyme.  There was an indoor pool on one end and a theater at the other.

Our other favorite was Morris Library.  So many books and so many places to curl up, hide and read.  Each day that Summer was a new reading room,  new places to explore, or a trip to the top floor.  (At that time it was the tallest building on campus!)

And so began my love affair with "Campus"!  As a matter of fact my first date was on Campus.  My date (later to be my husband) took me to a play and afterwards we walked campus.  It was early Spring when I was 16. The play was "Romeo and Juliet" and to add to the romance the trees were all blooming. I can still smell the air and the coolness of the night.  I knew that night I would marry him and go to college at SIU.

Now fast forward 16 years, many plays later and many many walks later!  I took my 5 year old daughter to her first of many performances at Shryock Auditorium.  We took a long walk through the buildings of Old Campus between blossoming trees and azaleas past the fountain to the front of the magnificent building.  The Stairs of Shryock were magical to us.  "Run from stairs to the fountain" or "Hop up the stairs to the magnolia trees".  The musicals, the ballets, "The Christmas Carol", "The Nutcracker" all chances to be on Campus and walk.  But the interior of this building is elegant with rich curtains and fixtures.  We would pretend we were rich Victorian ladies attending the performance.

Well, I'm halfway to Now so more next time!!  Thanks for joining me for a little reminiscing.  Sometimes we really do need to remember our past to appreciate our future.