The university I attended divided the undergrads into 12 residential colleges, where you lived and ate. The Master of my residential college--a senior prof who actually lived in the building--was a minister. It was NOT a religious university, and as a rebellious preacher's kid, I was convinced my dad had somehow conspired to get me into the one college with a MINISTER at its head!
At the welcome dinner for the new freshmen, The Rev. N. began his opening address solemnly. He launched into what he said was going to be an exegesis from an important text. In his best Sunday sermon voice, he then began the reading: from The Book of A. A. Milne! From which he of course drew delightful and important lessons from the lives of Christopher Robin, Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore.
He was a beloved leader who treated me--a wide-eyed Hawaiian from 5000 miles away--like a daughter. He quickly saw that my veneer of confidence was often a shaky act. It would be great to write about him here some day, because he was also an important historical figure in his own right.
But today, I would like to do my own reading from the Book of A. A. Milne, on a topic close to my heart: friendship.
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