Wednesday, a good man, Adam Cahil, lamented the way that everyday at Notre Dame you pass by hundreds of exceptional students without a second thought. However, I would like to take a minute to honor a few of those who broke this trend and have made my time at Notre Dame just a little bit crazier and therefore, just a little bit better.
Much like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, my first story is about how my day got flipped, turned upside down, if you will. Allow me to present to you "that dining hall girl" (TDHG). Now we all know the drink lines at South Dining Hall can be mentally excruciating as you observe many of the not so exceptional Notre Dame students at work, but this time was different, this time was special.
While waiting for the "fancy" water machines, a voice randomly comments about how slow they are. Expecting to turn and see a familiar face, instead I was greeted by a complete stranger, it was TDHG. Rather than drop my tray and seek cover below the marshmallow counter, I embraced this "crazy" woman and we exchanged pleasant chit chat on a broad range of topics such as: Why are these machines so slow? Why do we believe the water is any different from that out of the little blue things? How do those things have enough pressure to blast your average dining hall cup into orbit if needed?
Coincidently we both proceeded to the milk line and admired what quality dining hall machines - efficient, effective, just a pleasure to behold - those fine milk machines are. Once out of the drink line we exchanged pleasant adieus and were off our own ways.
What TDHG couldn't have known was if I would have thought she was a freak. She couldn't have known that I just had a pretty rough day, and I'm sure she didn't know just how much she turned my day around. From one crazy person to another, thank you TDHG, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your courage and craziness has made my life better.
My next salute is to "that guy" (TG). A number of my friends and I had gone for late night cherry icees, and ran into a very funny and very cute cherry icee girl. When TG - quite possibly the nicest man alive - mentioned this to me, I recalled the cute and funny cherry icee girl of my sophomore year whom I let slip away. Unable to bear the thought of TG suffering such anguish, I convinced TG to go ask for a cherry icee and her phone number.
Politely he did. He was shot down swiftly, for this cherry icee girl was already involved. None of us were surprised, who wouldn't want to date this cherry icee girl. While TG may have struck out with the icee girl, he became a legend in the minds of an admiring few. Carry on TG, carry on.
Finally, I salute "that frosh-o girl" (TFG). TFG and I didn't even meet at an ice breaker, rather at one of those useless advisor meetings. I was late and a sweaty mess from my futile attempt at making the cross country team. Much like the Grinch, I shouldn't have been touched even with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole. Unwavered, TFG struck up conversation and I proceeded to fail three times at pronouncing her name correctly. Still she pressed on, we did lunch, and four years later TFG is still my best friend.
Everyone talks about the horribly awkward moments we experience at Notre Dame, but I just wanted to applaud those brave and wacky people who make it all worthwhile. God bless you crazy people and best of luck bringing just a little more randomness into our lives.
Sean MacCreadyseniorFisher HallMar. 3
