There's No Place Like Home Away from Home

For most of my Wheaton years I lived in dorms. As a freshman I was in Fischer Hall of course. In those days all freshmen were. It was a big impersonal Bauhaus of brick and glass. In spite of that I made many life-long friends and vivid memories there.

My second year was in a first floor, corner room at McManis Hall. This wonderful, long-in-the-tooth building was like a smelly old shoe that you just can’t bring yourself to discard—dumpy but comfortable. It was here that the YB of the SC and I forged our friendship, cried over lost love and grew to manhood accompanied by David Bowie and Steely Dan. Our window opened on the quad and many a friend would poke his or her head in to say “Hi” on the way to the dining hall.

Part of a year I lived with a group of upper classmen in a little suburb north of Wheaton called Carol Stream in a derelict one level rambler across from the Jewell-Osco and adjacent to the Theosophical Society. It had a pool. Since I was the low man on the totem pole I had a room in the basement. It was partitioned off with unfinished plywood and it flooded from time to time but it was quiet and I could come and go as I pleased. With my bed up on blocks the occasional damp was little more than a nuisance. I had a pool! My mother visited me that year. I could tell by the expression on her face that she was not impressed by the pool.

One summer I decided to stay at school and take classes. I worked at a Victoria Station as a bus boy in a nearby town. This was a very popular restaurant chain in the 70’s that unfortunately went bankrupt. I lived in an ugly, high-density apartment complex in Carol Stream. It was here that I became acquainted with the Shilohman (not known by that name then). I’m quite sure he disapproved of me; possibly because of the women I kept bringing to the apartment to watch late-night TV. We are fast friends now but at the time I didn’t care much what he thought. I figured that any guy who needed an explanation that he had his morning “shower, (bleep) and shave” routine in the wrong order had much bigger problems than a wayward roommate. On second thought I think that was our other roommate, Rick. He was kind of confused. Some years after graduation Rick sent a letter to the Wheaton Alumni Association claiming he was deceased.

None of these can compare to my senior year accommodations. The YB invited me to be his roomie again after a long hiatus. I’m certain he missed me, having fallen in with an eclectic band of scoundrels in a place called Washington House. I was only there during the fall and winter quarters because I graduated early and returned home in the spring. But it was a magical place. On the corner of Washington and College Ave, this run-down, two story wood-frame house became the center of my universe. It was directly across from Front Campus so we could walk to class. It had a yard, shade trees and plenty of parking in back. But most of all there was YB (“Moon” in those days) and Lower and Reeser and Veen and a devious chemist named JT who almost got me kicked out of school. We had a runt of a dog named Earl. Reeser would take Earl to class where he was treated as a celebrity. Earl did not like anyone with a swarthy complexion which got awkward when an African-American boyfriend came calling on the girl upstairs. Moon and I had a basement room with a gas firebox. We would turn up the heat just to watch the flames. In the morning we were thankful not to have asphyxiated during the night.

We furnished the place with some very nice things from French House. We heard that French House was to be demolished so we showed up one night before Building & Grounds could clean it out. We naturally thought that all the furniture should stay together. Strangely, no one noticed us carrying all those over-stuffed couches and chairs across campus.

It was here in Washington House that we played ELO at the highest volume ever recorded on a home stereo system in Dupage County.

It was here in this marvelous house after studying all night for a Shakespeare test that I had a dream entirely in Middle English.

It was Washington House where I took refuge after participating in one of the most successful and infamous pranks in Wheaton College history.

It was here, observing Lower dye his mustache, that I learned the meaning of the word vanity.

It was to Washington House where my soon-to-be-bride and my freshman younger brother would come to find out if the reason for my absence from chapel was asphyxiation.

And finally, because of Washington House I was, at last, able to attain the lofty status of BMOC. This was the obvious stature of anyone living in such a wonderful place. Sadly, Washington House was torn down to make room for an annex building of College Church. It will live forever in my memory as the best home away from home.

"What happened to the [group] I used to know?"

This year for Christmas I asked for, and received, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra; All Over The World, a compilation by the very popular group from the mid 70’s. When I lived in Washington House across from the very lovely campus of the very exclusive Harvard of Post-High School Christian Intellectual Enlightenment, my pals and I would play ELO at ear-splitting volumes day and night. One of the guys owned four Bose 901 speakers, which we hung by chains from the ceiling in each of the corners of the living room. With the volume at full chat it was a mind-altering experience. This we used to bring ourselves to fevered levels of emotional excitement before exams, dates and sporting events.

“It’s a livin’ thing.”

Anyway, I have been listening to this CD a lot since Christmas because it reminds me of those carefree days when I lived with the YB of the SC and the Og Man and Reeser and Lower and of course Earl our dog. Also I just like their music. One day last week as I was running an errand in the venerable Nissan, listening to ELO, I had a stunning revelation—I was listening to Disco! I can only (inadequately) describe this as an out-of-body experience. This is something like going for a walk in the woods and having this weird sensation that everything is looking familiar when in fact you have walked back to where you had started hours before without knowing it until you have a shocking and unexpected encounter with your own vehicle exactly where you parked it. Such things make you question your sanity.

“I tell you once more before I get off the floor…”

I will never regard ELO or myself the same way again. How could I have possibly missed it all these years? Maybe I was mesmerized by the complex orchestration and the falsetto harmonies and the reverb. Maybe I was concentrating on the memories. I don’t know.

“Don’t bring me down.”

I still like ELO. Apparently it’s the only thing (I will admit) I like from the Disco era and genre. No more nasty surprises though, the disk is safely back in its jewel case and I am back to listening to Disturbed, Anberlin, Alterbridge and other bands from the less-than-sunny side of contemporary music.

“[I] ain’t got nobody else to blame.”

Engaged!

The Yakimaniacs are pleased to announce the engagement of our son Andrew. He is marrying his high school sweetheart and girlfriend of 5 years, Erin. Of course this is no surprise to anyone who knows them since they have been dedicated to each other for such a long time. In fact Mrs. Yak, having the gift of prophesy, foretold that Erin would be the one for her son from the moment she met her on their first date. On this first date they were juniors in H.S. It was a Twirp dance—the girls ask the guys. Andrew asked his buddy to let Erin’s friends know he wanted her to ask him and the rest is history. I was initially skeptical of Mrs. Yak’s pronouncement but knew better than to dispute such a momentous utterance. (Mrs. Yak also made the announcement to her co-workers so she is well documented.)

Andrew asked her to marry him on Friday night the 22^nd of December. It was a well-planned event complete with roses, candles and rose petals strewn about. Mrs. Yak and I were banned from returning home before 8:45 PM, then 9:00, then 9:15. Andrew was texting the delays to my cell phone because his dinner with Erin was running late. By the time we got home they were both waiting for us and “there was much rejoicing.” Actually there were tears, hugs and squeals of delight!

In the days since we have all come to realize how much our lives have changed! There are so many decisions to make! The kids go back to heavy course loads at the Harvard of Christian Colleges and yet plan a wedding two thousand miles away. We try to figure out how to pay for our part. It will all be worth it. Erin is a fine young woman who is firmly committed to Jesus Christ and we welcome her into the family.