100 Days, 100 Ties

Hey! Let’s give a Wildcat cheer for Ugly Tie Week! Ready?! Ooooooookay.

You-Gee-Ell-Why! You ain’t got no alibi. You ugly. What-What?!! You ugly.

So, as my title implies, beauty can be, and is, found just about anywhere. After threatening to decimate its confidence by being named Ugly No. 1, my Tie d’Ugly has actually been complimented 3 or 4 times today, and by people with taste! I bought it at Unique several months before 100D100T, but have never worn it because I found it hard to match with a shirt. So, while I had it slotted for UTW since I thought of having one, it turns out no one said it was ugly. Oh, well. The TdJ is from Guy Laroche, a French designer with a long history of success. In my humble, bumbled opinion, this was not a success. The pink is what, chartreuse? Paisleys are supposed to look like they’re in a petri dish, not marching into Red Square. And that thing on the end? Some weird colors in there…I just don’t know. This one would have gotten some comments on a Freebie Friday.

This past weekend I trekked down to Nashville for a couple of reunions. The St. Agnes/St. Dominic class of ’83 had a mini-reunion of sorts. Yes, I was the only SDS attendee, save for the hostess’s husband John, and I joined (aforementioned hostess) Martha, Eimir, Alicia, Karen, Amy, Katie, Meredith, Melanie, Michelle, Jean, Gina, Stephanie, Stephanie and Stephanie in toasting our youthful vigor.

As fun as Friday was, Saturday morning was the reason I went down there, and it was a quiet morning as I readied myself to head out to Camp Marymount for Adult Camp 2010.

Brief camp bio: I went to Marymount for 4 years (’81-’84) as a camper, from the ages of 12-15, then worked there for 3 summers in the early 90s whilst in my early 20s. Boys’ session was 3 weeks long, so in all of my life I spent less than a half of a year out there. But, somehow, the friendships that I made, with others and even myself, have stuck with me for almost 30 years.

There are so many things that I learned out there, and I realize that the teen years are rife with that kind of nurturing. I am not naive enough to believe that Marymount was the only place that I would have gained confidence in sports, sociability or what-have-you–I could have had the same experience at another camp, or playing a sport over the summer, or learning an instrument. But it’s the place I was, and I am now rewarding myself by going back there and recalling that.

So, I’m driving along, a hundred brief thoughts going through my head, of campfires, howling laughter, card games, softball games, swimming, singing, eating, drinking (as a counselor…doy), of songs (Catholic camp, we went to Mass…), friendship, bows, arrows, guns, blahblahblue-in-the-face. I see the white fence and nearly burst into tears (another thing I learned was that it’s okay to be sad that you’re not going to see friends in a while and that it’s okay to cry about it), not only for the 8-hour journey from the day before, but because it’s a loving place. Its spirit extends to me and to my fellow campers and counselors, and the ones before me and after. I knew maybe 15 out of 80 folks there, but I could speak to 80 out of 80 about shared experiences and an absolute adoration for this place.

Okay, that little essay sounded so much better when I was crafting it on the drive home last night, so I’m sorry if it’s a little disjointed. But let’s get on to the Philanthropists With Ties…I took a bunch today, but I want to get to the ones from last week that haven’t gotten on yet.

Al-Tie No. 56

Here’s Al White, the president of the Evanston Running Club. He’s helping on a committee that wants to put on a half-marathon here in town that will hit a bunch of neighborhoods throughout all parts of Evanston.

Billie-Tie No. 90

And here’s Billie Kershasky, a sales rep for Astor & Black, a custom clothier. As soon as I can afford one of their suits, look out. Billie, who’s also a Zumba instructor, is also helping to set up the half-marathon, which we hope will take place in the Fall 2011.

Brady-Tie No. 77

The other member of our tie-wearin’, run-plannin’ committee is Brady Gervais. She was a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and moved down here last year when her husband started at Kellogg.

Asher-Tie No. 25

Bill-Tie No.27

Here are Asher Wolmark and Bill Vellon, who run the Kingsbury Capital office in the Rotary Building. They are on the same floor as the Chamber, and are a couple of great guys. Asher shares a hometown with me, as we are both from Memphis (home of Elvis Death Week–if you haven’t got a chance, El Vez is one of the best Elvis impersonators you’ll ever dance your ass off to).

I’m sorry that’s only 5 PWTs…but I have to publish.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

This entry was posted on August 17, 2010 at 9:08 am and is filed under Girls With Ties, Guys With Ties, Tie du Jour, Ugly Tie Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.