Uninvited

Randy went to college during the mid-1960s. His was a generation that pushed the limits of all things that were acceptable in a polite and orderly society. The university campus scene moved with a dynamic energy that was palpable everywhere you went. Traditional boundaries between professors and students evaporated like a light rain on a hot summer day. These young adults helped shape new social mores that created a broader space for self expression and fulfillment.

While Randy enjoyed the freedoms of his generation and would take the lessons of a broader egalitarianism with him throughout his life, he was also an impoverished student. It isn't quite as easy to live the ideals you believe when your stomach rumbles and grumbles throughout the day. He had good friends who would help him out whenever he would ask, but his pride generally overruled his stomach and he would get by on bologna sandwiches and berries he could collect in the hills above campus. In the fall, orchards and farmers markets provided plentiful and inexpensive fruits and vegetables, but that didn't help much during the winter and early spring.

One evening while sitting in the library, Randy flipped through the day's newspaper. As he opened the local section he read a story about a reception for a prominent wedding. The description of the food and drink caused a resentment due to massive economic disparities. How could one family have so much while others, like him, had so little? It just seemed unfair. And as his stomach nagged him as he thought about the feast, a kernel of an idea popped into his mind.

He quickly hurried home and put on the one suit he owned. Making sure his shirt was ironed and his shoes were polished, he walked to the nearest reception center. He was in luck, they were hosting another wedding. This event wasn't nearly as formal and he noticed several guests come and go. He found courage and as he entered he knew every eye in the place would turn and look at directly at him. He could feel their gazes cut through him and he sensed their knowing awareness that he didn't belong. But his hunger overcame his instinct to leave and spying an empty table he hurried across the floor and quickly sat down.

From this vantage point he realized that no one was even paying attention to him. Everyone was engaged in conversation or dancing and he had just become a random guest. He nearly startled when he noticed the shadow on the table indicating the presence of someone behind him. But before he could turn around and explain, the waiter placed a plate of food before him and asked what he wanted to drink. His heart pounding through his chest, he barley muttered, "Water." Clearing his throat, he said again, "Water, thank you." While he couldn't do this every night, this strategy got Randy through two years of college at the same weight he entered.