it's a very crazy and hectic time of year.
all the kids enjoying their last days of summer vacation.
trying not to think of the first day back to school looming ahead of them.
some, like my young cousins in LA, (looeeeseeana, that is) are already back at school.
some are packing up their childhood memories and are headed off to the wild and
ever so exciting land of colleges and universities.
and some are going through the nuttiest days of their lives,
fall rush, or recruitment as it now likes to be called.
all of the letters of support, all of the official rec's and all the lovely words of praise
were sent off months ago, and now the real fun begins.
thousands of anxious young women all over these united states, on
both sides of the battlefield, are ready to join or be joined.
it really is a nerve racking event for everyone.
the little freshman women who want desperately to make the cut,
the exhausted upperclass women who have to make the decisions,
and all the anxious families waiting at home for the phone calls.
most non greeks think this whole situation is very grotesque.
the buying of friendships thing.
but i don't see it that way at all. yes there is a cost factor, but
when you join any organization, there is usually a fee.
becoming a greek is just the beginning
to all sorts of learning opportunities.
it teaches you how to live and survive and play nicely with your peers.
it teaches you discipline, honesty, trust, and leadership.
the retention rates and graduation rates are higher for greeks, and
so are the gpa's. it teaches you how to become involved
in your school, in your community and in your government.
it offers scholarships and a sense of belonging,
and also brings a sense of healthy competition to the collegiate athlete
or any wannbes.and yes, the social part is great, too!!
i hope those going through fall rush and those gdi's who aren't,
all enjoy their college experience.
and i mostly hope everyone rushing finds
their little sense of home and happiness in whichever
house welcomes them home.
i had a great greek experience and i hope all my
little greeks and greekettes do too!!
hey, i still know the greek alphabet by
heart do you???
!!go greek go!!
we were all glowing with sweat, our hair was sticking to our heads and we were dripping wet. the heat won and slowly we all decided it was time to get into our air conditioned cars and head home to our cool air conditioned houses. even though we wanted to continue our conversations, we just couldn't stand it any longer.the heat can make you feel ill, and so i am immensely thankful to willis carrier, the father of modern day large scale a/c. but how in the world did people live down here in the south ( Texas is south central actually) without air conditioning?? i just can't fathom that. just fans to move the heat filled air around their sweaty bodies all day long? omg that had to be simply miserable. especially in buildings, where you couldn't possibly feel the outside air in the center offices. and just when you looked forward to the cooler evening breezes, you get a night, like last night, that just sucks the life out of you with stifling hot humid air. and what the heck was living down here like in the 1700-1800's?? long dresses, petticoats, heavy fabrics. how did they manage to live in the heat?? i can't even think about it without feeling heat stroke-ish!! i will never complain about how cold the a/c is ever again, i will don my fleece jacket and be ever so grateful to mr. carrier for being so inventive in 1902, and probably so hot in all the previous years, for cooling us all!! 
