I just got a call today from a good friend who I haven’t heard from in a while. I usually don’t talk a lot about my friends, excuse me, my acquaintances, because I’m not really close with most of them like I used to be. However, I consider this friend one of my really good friends because we have known each other since probably the first grade. In high school though we were like rivals, (me the geek and he was the sports star in football and basketball). He would pick and beat up on me daily. But you know things change and people change too. He was admitted into University of Delaware back when we were seniors in high school . They rejected my application. He got in on a football scholarship but he was also very smart.
I decided since they weren’t going to let me at UD I would enroll at Western New England College in Springfield, MA. I went there for a year and didn’t like it and decided to transfer to another school. I applied for a transfer at five different schools, University of South Carolina, University of Delaware, George Mason University, Northeastern University, University of Maryland-College Park. I chose some of these schools after reading a New York Times article that stated these schools at the time (1996-1997) had the highest rate of people of color graduating and they also invested in programs that attracted and retained students of color. My decision came down between University of Delaware and University of Maryland-College Park, because University of South Carolina was too far a drive from NY even though I had family on my mother’s side that lived down there. I finally chose University of Delaware because my nephew (who is one year younger) went to Delaware State University and it would save on trips for the family between the both of us. Also I knew I would know at least one person at University of Delaware before coming on campus.
Any way I had a good time living on campus @ UD but I eventually decided to move off campus and I asked my friend if I could move in with him and his roommate during the summer of 2000. He was ok with it and I paid him rent and I got to live in the living room. I was a wonderful setup because it was three us splitting things up. He and his roommate were members of Omega Psi Phi. I did get along with some of the other bruhs even though I wasn’t a que or a member of any fraternity. I thought that was cool. What was funny was that I remember overhearing during a party a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and a member of Omega Psi Phi talk about how they do their "initiations". I knew I was hearing too much and had to take a break outside the apartment for a bit. All in all I enjoyed my time in the apartment. I enjoyed the social occasions (actually parties) that they would frequently have at the place. Although one time I got a little too much liquor and feel asleep or passed out (I can’t remember_)but other that that it was all good. I moved out into my own place in the fall semester because I knew I needed my own place but I would have rather had stayed there.
So anyway, back to today, he left me a voicemail message and I called him back and told me he and his long time girlfriend bought a house near Philly and they were having a house warming in late August and he needed my email address to seem me an invitation. I told him I should be able to make it since I don’t have anything scheduled in August that I am aware of now. I would love to take a road trip down there. I haven’t been in Philly since maybe 2000 or 2001. Nice to hear your people are doing well even if you don’t keep in contact with them as you should. Looking forward to going out of the state even if it is only for a day or so.
