Let us Smell the Tulips, One more Time.

A walk by College St. 

For today, Halloween, 2011, I am just going to add a link to an old Post. I just returned from State College, PA.  A beautiful little town....which for many reasons always felt like home.  Not just because it is the only time when for a few years I truly unpacked, hung pictures on the walls, made friends with my dentist’s secretary, the librarians at the local library, and the guy who owned an old book store, which since has been sold off, thanks to online business, volunteered regularly, worked at the University Creamery...but because after all that, there was a huge, interlinked connections of love and people that I left behind.

This year, I had a conference in Philly.  The conference is much smaller and cozier than others I attend.  I do want to get to know these bunch of people...but one other motive was to return to Happy Valley, at its prime....in more than one ways.  It was Autumn, the trees were yellow, red, and orange.  Starbucks and Subway were in business.  There was construction on the streets, just as we know it is right before it starts to freeze....there was a protest or two on College and Allen.  CATA was running its regular schedules.  Only the Loop, the strictly on-campus bus, was not Blue anymore.  There were many changes, but not enough for me to feel out of place. I knew the roads.  I knew the lanes, as I knew the many people I might run into there.   I recognized the few changes, not enough to disorient me.  I knew this might be my one chance where I could still ‘go home’ and see a handful of familiar faces, claim my hugs, exchange a few smiles and jokes.

University towns are transient.  In that, they are ruthless.  One replaces the other without much thought.  Much loved Deans and Professors become obsolete merely over half the time it takes to get an undergrad--2 years (not counting super seniors!!).   Yet, for all those who return there is a gush of memories that comes back.

Don’t get me wrong just because I am nostalgic does not mean that my time there was all great and without complaints.  Quite the contrary. What I am saying is that it was a perfect combination of two things.  People and town, the connections I  made, and the location, history and beauty of the town.  State College, the town itself was a Character.  We’d talk about it, as if it were an old friend....someone we knew oh so well, and yet someone who never stopped to surprise us.  I knew that this might be my last chance to see some people at ‘that place’ where the combination of the ‘place and the person’ provide a unique combination for swimming in ‘old memories’.  I know that a few people I knew in Clarion have passed on, many have retired, others have left.  Clarion is where I did my MS and that town, although not visibly different, was definitely much lonelier.  At one point, I stood in the middle of the campus and simply cried.  That the first town where I walked for the first time, into a McDonald’s. An Indian friend has asked me to order ’the cheese burger’ to suit my ‘vegetarian palate’, so that town remains the place where I bit into a piece of beef....ever.  Inte dåligt (not bad--in Swedish).  Clarion was also the place, where for the first time I held a floppy and started to work on computers.  The town, where among other things I both first experienced ‘real snow’, ‘snow storms’ and heard the ice break!!

All of which, I cannot seem to live without now.

So, I think it was right that I visit these people in the middle of a work session, when I just surprise them, as if I lived next door.  That won’t allow much planning to have organized meals and meetings...but that  is how life is....where we plan to have lunch ‘one-day’ for years...and get to it, say less than 24 mths before retirement.  All other meetings, where we planned the ‘meals together’ are probably more significant, occurred in the parking lots, by the curb, outside the restrooms, through our car window--where we B****Hed and Moaned about things that do not work, about children fall off the table and loosing their teeth before their 4th birthday, spouses getting sick from overwork, and us ourselves, trying to juggle life.  Then one day, we sit down, and there is not much to say, because life is never cut and dried. It really does happen, when we are planning for that ‘One day!!'

There is much more to say, but in the absence of time, and the presence of overwhelming emotion, even as I write this, blocks me.  I am going to attach a few--nay more than a few pictures.....and let you get a peak into what I see and feel.

Oh by the way, there is a new Preacher, at a new location, ‘Old Main’--kind of the Secretariat of Penn State.  The Willard Preacher, definitely looked older this time.  For those who do not know, one or two preachers on the University campus always talked ‘God’ literally from 8 to 5, 7 days a week, outside the Willard Building.  Whether or not anyone stopped to discuss.  Willard Building right across from Schwab auditorium to one side and across from Pattee to its other side, is the most frequent building by the students--simply because of the number of classrooms it houses.  I often wondered what would happen if there was some sort of a threat in that building, how long would it take to evacuate it? Which did happen once, post September, 11.  But it was early in the morning, not many were in the building, and we were asked to leave.

Well, this time, I overheard two young, socrates-look-alike students arguing with the new Preacher, who is decidedly much rounder than the previous one, who still continues with his work, outside Willard.  I took a quick picture, smiled and muttered....’somethings only change in dimensions!!’

So, here is the story, followed by pictures and videos.

And here is the story: Smell of Tulips, Touch of Snow

Many faces of Corner Room:  At College and Allen.

The Mall, our version of the Forum!

 Carnegie, where College of Communications is housed.  That big door, that inadvertently-sent me places... 

PS: Notice the fall colors reflected in one of the windows of the majestic building?

Famous Yellow Car. I know cars only by their colors.  And take pictures of yellow cars....all over the world...

What would campuses be without protests, and new voices working on making themselves heard?

Still green, late October and Still green.  See the sun? 

The walk towards Pattee library.

No, these are not the Socrates-look alikes, may be just the hair.  But, he is the new preacher. 

And following are the pictures of colors of Pennsylvania in its all its glory.  I will remain silent, so you can absorb the music they make....

Global Revolution!! All We are Saying, Give People a Chance

It might be sporadic...might be like, as a friend said, 'like an amoeba' but as I believe, these movements are more about realizing the things that we can do together....which we cannot do divided...


The following comment made me want to put this on my blog.


''Lead the way Amerca - for too long the good name of your country has been destroyed by the war mongers, bankers and corperate monsters who have usurped democarcy. God bles you all involved in the occupation.'' (A comment on Occupy Wall Street Website')


Occupy Wall Street: Watch Live  (Wait for the stream to load, it takes only a few seconds).

The Other reason, that made me want to participate 'virtually' in this movement is that I notice there is a serious 'blackout' from the mainstream media about this PEACEFUL movement. While the violent ones are always broadcasted.  Something is not right with the youtube as well, where although you can see as many clips as you want to of the movement, only if you search for it.  But for some reason, it does not register as 'previously watched' videos and does not recommend similar videos for further viewing.  I will have to double check on that.

I hope, this catches momentum.  I hope, the movement STAYS PEACEFUL, as it marches on confidently.