COLUMN: My Wednesday night friends

From Todd Wise's, "Where Lovely Mermaids Flow," Fall '99 From Todd Wise's, "Where Lovely Mermaids Flow," Fall '99Every Wednesday night, I see my Wednesday night friends. And every Wednesday night they impart some of their wisdom to me. Because every Wednesday night, I'm the youngest person attending my CGS writing class. As a result, they give me perspective on school, the real world and life. So with one week left in the advanced registration period, I'd encourage you to find some Wednesday night friends. Because there's a lot you could learn from CGS students. For one, you might learn that grades aren't everything. Sure, I spend my time worrying about them. I'm not ashamed to admit that. Society demands that I worry whether it's a B or a B+. And at the end of the semester, I'll probably get nervous as I type my Penn InTouch password. But my Wednesday night friends are beyond caring about grades. Most take the class with me because they've read Flannery O'Connor and Tobias Wolf. And now they'd like to write like them. Some hire babysitters so they can spend Wednesday nights learning to write like Poe. Or Hemingway. Or Kerouac. And for an occasional second, I'll be inspired by the notion that they love to learn. What they don't understand, however, is that they are the teachers themselves. Because while they're talking about the writing, they're simultaneously teaching me about the world beyond the friendly confines of Penn. I've always feared the real world for its 9-to-5 days. I think of it is a world where Fridays are special because you eat a salami instead of a roast beef sandwich on your 45-minute lunch break. It's a world of noisy carpools and worn, Samsonite attachZ cases. A world of PTA meetings, bridge groups and tax returns. But my Wednesday night friends give me the hope that it might not be all bad. They enjoy talking about their husbands, wives and new homes. They look forward to little league, lunch breaks with friendly coworkers and festive religious celebrations. And most importantly, they still have the ability to laugh. About each other's writing. At how I overuse the word "dude." Or at people's reactions at entering our sweltering classroom. From the biologists to the school teachers, my Wednesday night friends all seem happy. Perhaps the most valuable lessons I've learned from my Wednesday night friends have been about life. Sometimes, before class, we will dine on the exquisite cuisine at Penn's Moravian "food court." From our conversations, I've learned not to get wrapped up in life's small setbacks -- like a bad test or a crappy day. I've learned more than ever that I shouldn't plan too much or too little. That family is an important thing. That doing what you love is also important. And I practically take notes. Because this is what collegiate mentoring is all about. Look, Dean Beeman basically admitted that Penn's faculty advising sucks. And my peer advisor wouldn't have known me freshman year had I knocked him over on the Walk. But this coming week, as I scroll down the spring course timetable, I'll check out what CGS has to offer. Hopefully, it's a fresh batch of Wednesday night friends.