The One About The Windy City...

I remember when my freshman roommate opened our door exposing the black envelope on the floor. My name was written in cursive gold lettering above a blood red wax seal. Fancy… I quickly learned that it was a bid or invitation to pledge Sigma Nu, the only fraternity on campus with a recruitment event I reluctantly attended because of the Lu’au theme and that my roommate looked ridiculous wearing all of the “island stuff” in my room. Receiving this bid was interesting news... Mike and I had discussed living together another year until he received a bid from another fraternity. I knew he secretly wanted to join Theta Delta but offered to decline if I had no one else to live with. Truth was, I didn’t have anyone else… And because I wasn’t prepared to spend the next year with someone hating me for crushing their dreams, I called Sigma Nu and accepted their invitation. I would be moving into their house in the fall.

Last week, I spent four days in Chicago reuniting with older Sigma Nus I haven’t seen since they graduated – at least 6 years! I flew in Thursday evening – hung out at a bro’s incredulous 91st floor apartment at the John Hancock Center, worked out of my firm’s local office on Friday before meeting up with the bro’s at Mercadito - an upscale Mexican restaurant. Our initial conversations were really awkward…

“So… what have you been up to since college?”

I think I recited the same response 7 times hoping to sound as if my life were incredibly interesting and work was self-fulfilling… Like I do in job interviews… Or beauty pageants… haha!

The rest of the weekend was a blur – swanky bars, underground clubs, Chicago Cubs game, beer die tourney, Stanford win over AZ,
McFaddens… I realized that my years in Sigma Nu (including 2 in the house) produced amazing memories temporarily suppressed by the
constant onslaught of my current life… I honestly forgot how close we all were six years ago. And I vowed not to forget… As I passed out in the backseat of my cab Sunday morning heading to O’Hare after just getting back from McFaddens, I realized that my risky choice to not live
with my freshman roommate paid off. ‘Cause when you think about it, is he blogging about a kick ass reunion with the bro’s? Nope! I
checked. He watched Family Guy all weekend… Lame. Haha! JK Mike!

Rose to EN.