BETWEEN THE LINES: A valued friendship is truly a blessing
My wife had the opportunity last weekend to attend the first Blanton reunion. When one thinks of reunions, generally family and high schools come to mind, but neither applies in this case. This gathering was rather unique, for the attendees all lived in Blanton dormitory on the University of Texas campus in Austin in the mid- to late 1970s.
Since I started dating my future wife-to-be during her junior year, I knew the guests at the reunion. Although three decades had passed, the women were readily recognizable. Oddly enough, seven of the 16 people who showed up over the weekend were Hondo natives.
My wife and I attended several Hondo weddings in the years after our marriage. Hondo is about an hour west of San Antonio. It is noted for having an amusing sign — erected in 1930 — at the city limits that reads: “This is God’s country. Don’t drive thru it like hell.”
A later version changed "thru" to "through" and added "please." I guess that made the sign politically correct.
The festivities began late Oct. 7 as the ladies met at an Austin restaurant, but the highlight of the weekend was an early Oct. 8 tour of Blanton dormitory, which served as the group’s home away from home during college. The tour also included the campus as well, and was conducted by three current students, who found their guests quite entertaining.
The dorm looked much the same, but there are some changes. The cafeteria was replaced by a study area and a sixth floor has been added. The biggest change is the facility now is coed, and the curfews have long since been eliminated.
The girls concluded the fellowship and esprit de corps they experienced would be difficult to replicate in the current university culture. Very few students choose to stay in the same dorm their entire time on campus, especially since freshmen no longer are required to stay on UT.
Our daughter Ashley, a 2008 UT graduate, is a good example of such a transition. After spending her freshman year in a dorm on campus, she changed locations each year thereafter by living in two different apartments before sharing a house with four other girls her senior year.
After the tour, the crew returned to one of the women’s homes to watch the Red River Rivalry between the Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, which unfortunately quickly turned into a debacle. That evening, it was on to another restaurant to enjoy many more laughs and reflections.
In a moment of candor, I must confess women have a distinct advantage over men when it comes to relationships. The fact these UT alums maintained contact with one another after three decades is a testimony to their loyalty and concern for one another. Over my lifetime, I have observed firsthand the closeness women share. They make better eye contact and are genuinely interested in what is going on in the lives of their friends.
On the other hand, men are more distant. We prefer facts and figures to feelings, hence our addiction to sports and games. I am not suggesting men adopt women’s ways, but I do believe we miss out on some of the blessings a close relationship can generate.
The weekend ended with a Cajun-style Sunday brunch prepared by a couple of the attendees, one of whom is from New Orleans. They continued to reminisce about those good old days before the heavy weight of grown-up responsibilities permanently settled in. Plans are already under way for another gathering soon with New Orleans an early leader as a host city. I say more power to them.
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, email ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.