A USD Family Reunion

I listened to gangsta rap on my 9 block walk to the USD Alumni Reception last night. I needed to get myself psyched up to schmooze and mingle and force myself to "be bold." After Monday's big job rejection, I wasn't feeling particularly confident, and I wasn't looking forward to answering the routine question, "So, what do you do?" I drowned my inner voice insecurities by blaring Biggie Smalls as I walked down Madison Avenue toward the Union League Club.

I walked in the intimidating building with a handful of well-suited men, many of them carrying what looked to me like tennis rackets. I thought, "Oh, great. I already don't fit in." Then I though, "Oh crap, are chicks allowed in this place!?" Lucky, I found older lady in a black suit, and I followed her to a big, academic-y looking room with dark wood, huge drapes, paintings of dead presidents, and a glowing open bar (which I spotted immediately). After picking up my name tag and a USD pin (never can have enough of those), I B-lined it to the bar for a glass of white wine. Then I took a drink and a deep breath and walked over to a man and a women deep in philosophical debate. He was in his 50's, wearing a grey suit and a friendly smile, and she was slightly older, wearing a black blazer with a gold snake pin, glasses on her face, and sunglasses on her head. "...Lightfield?," She said slowly as she brought her face up close to my name tag. Then, she stepped back and said, "I think we're related!" And she was right. We are related! Her mother and my great-grandmother were sisters! (I think that's the connection). Gawd, I love South Dakota. From that moment on, I knew that it was going to be a good night. I was with family.

Then I mingled my little (not that little) butt off! I tried my best to partake in sophisticated conversations about diamond mining in Africa and the Canadian oil pipeline. I said, "That's so interesting" far too many times to be convincing, but I accompanied my empty comment with a smile and nod and I think/hope that people bought it. When I felt the urge to mingle some more, I used the excuse that I needed more wine. Though this was a pretty smooth transition, in my opinion, it did require me to visit the open bar much more frequently than anyone else. But can you blame me? It was free!

The more I mingled the more I felt like I had finally found "my people." At least six of the people I met told me the beginning of my same story. "I graduated from USD, and a week/day/month later, I had a one-way ticket to NYC, and I've been here ever since." The instant connection that I felt for these people was in part because they were from SD and in part because they had gone to USD, but even more so, it was because they started out where I did, and ended up where I am. You have to have a little crazy inside of you to move from Vermillion, SD to New York City, and I realized that I wasn't the only one. I was in great company.

Then there was more mingling, more "excuse me while I get another glass of wine," and more hors d'oeuvres, and then CCD showed up! [In case you're just tuning in, CCD is a Theta alum whom I met at the Theta centennial a month ago in Vermillion. We met each other, realized that we both live in NYC, and CCD promised to help me land a job- like a real one! We have been emailing back and forth, and she gives me hope!] So CCD came up, and I gave her a big hug; she is my sister after all. We took pictures and chatted like little school girls about library jobs and how she can help. I swear that she glowed as she talked and reassured me that something would work out.

Then President Abbott, or to Catherine: "Jim!," came up and the two embraced like the old friends that they apparently are. This is the point in the night that I am blaming on the wine because I could not get a hold of myself! I was starstruck. President Abbott..err... Jim was talking to Catherine and (sort of) to me! I felt like he was Mick Jagger and I was one of those crazy girls in the crowd getting ready to throw my bra at him! That might be a slight exaggeration. In reality, I just stood there with a big cheesy grin on my face. I could not stop smiling! If you know me, you know what this looks like. I looked mental. CCD was probably like, "Cool it, Lightfield. It's just Jim."  Then he started talking to me, and I honestly don't even really know what we talked about. I think I introduced myself to him, and I think he pretended to remember me. That did not help with the smiling. Luckily, he was summoned away to give a quick presentation, and he grabbed my elbow before he walked away. My elbow! *swoon*

After Jim's talk, I was really feeling good and kept on mingling. I was continuously amazed that I could say I was from Watertown and people actually knew where that was! I was taking business cards left and right, telling Harlem horror stories, and getting more wine whenever it was time to move on to a new group of people. It was delightful. I felt young and charming and fabulous in the blue dress that AP loaned me. I also felt so at home and so taken care of. At one point, CCD, who was talking with a different group, ran up to me and threw me someone else's business card, and said, "Come meet this guy sometime. He's going to help you get a job, too!" I never did make it over to meet him, but I'm emailing him today anyway along with the six other contacts I made.

Before I knew what time it was, it was time go. I said goodbye to my new BFF's Ardis and Judy, and I shook Jim's hand as I left. His hand! *swoon* I started walking down the stairs to the door, and a Theta alum and one of the organizers of the event called my name and chased me down on the staircase. She gave me a great big hug and thanked me for coming.

Even though I had walked into that room full of strangers three hours before, I felt like I was leaving a family.
I walked down the rest of the stairs beaming all the way to the train.
I had a happy heart, a light head, and a pocket full of newly made contacts.

Can you see the family resemblance??

She's going to help me get a job!!

Theta's for a lifetime!