in true female fashion, three of us yesterday evening adjourned to the bathroom. katie, me, and a girl i’d silently nicknamed the russian princess for her slender aloofness, pearl earrings, white-as-the-skin-of-a-lightbulb skin, and occasionally frightened expression as though she weren’t used to dealing with the rabble of the world. i doubt i’ve said a word to her despite her occasional presence as an associate to the partners of my group; she’s in classes with some of the others and none with me. still, she smiles at me usually and i smile back. who am i to spurn royalty?
suddenly she says, “you know, with the two of us here, we make up everything that is america.” words to that effect — i’m startled and it takes me a moment to process. we had been discussing our different colleges at the table before; i assume she’s referring to that. “you mean,” i say slowly, “that the two of us have within us the representative spectrum of young people in our country?” she rewarded my rewording with a beaming nod. “hmm,” i say, still processing. “we’re missing the alienated, disaffected punk or apathetic segment,” i point out. she returns a blank stare. “okay,” i say, “maybe that’s an east coast thing.”
she attends southern methodist university in texas; she dances (hence the figure); she has an american flag pinned to the inside of her change purse. “what are you majoring in?” she asks. american studies, i say, knowing what will happen, and indeed it does. “oh!” she says, and i hasten to dim the smile. “it’s not because i love america. (“oh,” she says) or hate it. it’s more like i find it fascinating.”
“i don’t want to talk about it,” she decides. “it’ll only get me upset.”
fair nuff. we leave the bathroom, katie following us shaking her head. back at the table, taking in the russian princess’s thin-and-blondeness, i consider being offended. but what would be the point? (indonesian dinner, incidentally. excellent food. 8 people, of whom only two, including me, had ever partaken of such before. everyone enjoys, including the r.p.. i’m proud.)
i sent off my proposed curriculum to the cty-guy who’ll be interviewing me, titled “Everyday Things”. now i’m about to go back to my room, roll up my sleeves, and try a recipe i bookmarked a few days ago in the frayed Family Circle cookbook previous tenants left, alongside women’s magazines and the bible, in our kitchen cupboard. if the result is any good, i’ll bring to share with folks at the georgia o’keefe exhibit we’re heading to this afternoon.