Old Farm Road

Getting Lost in the Same Place

      Spiral back to Fall 1982, and I have transferred to The University of Maryland, College Park. I am walking up and down 5,000 hills to find The North Gym. My English class was scheduled for a classroom in the basement of this alleged building. This, in itself, seemed dubious at best.

     I followed the campus map, turning it this way and that, attempting to bypass my lifelong spacial perceptual impairments to get to class on time. I end up…on a farm. Yep, we’re talking about sheep, cows, the pungent scent of manure, wondering, “Where the hell am I?”

     A farmer happened by, and I, dressed in a gauze skirt, t-shirt untucked, and toe ring sandals, sheepishly (no pun intended) ask him, “Excuse me, sir. Would you be able to help me?” At that point, I had tears brimming my eyes, but fought them back with every bit of Army BRAT.

     The elderly farmer (who was probably forty years old) ambled over to the fence and said, “Oh, Honey, this is part of the campus. I bet you feel like you’ve wandered over the rainbow.” I appreciated his Wizard of Oz reference and could have used the Ruby Slippers at that point.

      I explained that I was a UMCP student in search of The North Gym. I also asked, “Where am I?”

      He laughed gently and said, “This is actually a part of the campus. It’s for the students studying Animal Science and other studies.”

      I had no idea that in the middle of the hell hole that was the Urban Blight of Route 1, there was still farmland, let alone a farm belonging to the University. He pointed me in the right direction, and I did make it to the bowels of The North Gym, a tad late but in the right place.

      Two days ago, I was once again on the University of Maryland campus, which is now known as UMD, and is a huge ass place!! There are buildings, streets, and a whole side to campus that did not exist in my undergraduate days. I was there to interview for a position at their Lab school, affiliated with the School of Education.

      Where do I end up lost again…yep, The Farm. Only now, it is surrounded by campus buildings, and the barn is bright red-very classic looking. I had a campus map, and the road was named “Farm Road,” at which point I found myself singing, “I’m going to take my horse down the old farm road.” Being 61 is far better than being in my early 20’s. I knew I could find my way if I just kept driving, or I would ask some of the many students walking about for help. No tears, just me singing at the top of my lungs.

     I found the Lab School, still with ten minutes to spare before my interview time. Let me tell you; I was suddenly NERVOUS! My singing stopped, and I thought, “What the hell am I doing? They are going to take one look at me: long silver hair, gauzy skirt, black mock turtleneck (it was chilly), black tights, and my Capezio shoes and think, “Is she looking for the AARP Center?”

      I had the most enchanting morning, spending the first two hours with young children, playing, laughing, reading, dancing, running (outside), and then the last hour, interviewing with a panel of five people. The energy and magic of being around young children swept all my nervousness away.

    On my way back home, I took the Farm Road and began my singing again, but this time, I popped a CD in and played Chicago’s “Beginnings” and felt 19 again.

     So cool to feel younger after, than when I started the day. Apparently that Farm and I were destined to be a part of my Beginnings.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for listening. Maybe share a time you were lost or became found.