Home Sweet Home

Okay, so I am sorry it has been a LONG time! But I am on summer time, which means things get done at a lot slower pace. I have had "UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!!" on my to-do list since May, and it is middle of July when I finally log in to actually write. I do apologize, and hope to get my act together... But if you think about it, all things fun usually disappear in summer-- Like TV shows. So let's just assume my blog was a TV show and took some time off, but is now back for a new season!

Bid Day. 6 letters. 2 words. 1 lifetime commitment.

My favorite part about this day was SLEEPING IN! We got some "me time" before the fateful cards were delivered to us. I went ahead and picked out today’s wardrobe… Jeans, boots and a tank top. We would be getting our first shirts with our letters on them today when we met as a group, so the Gamma Chis encouraged us to wear as little as possible on top so the shirt would pull on over it without getting too bulky. I was just happy to be back in some familiar duds to be honest!

The card was slipped under my door, and surprise, surprise it was my mom’s sorority. It was my top pick so I was kind of excited but not shocked. I signed the card, slid it back under the door, and prepared for the chaos and frilly nonsense that was about to take over my afternoon.

When we met up as a group, I noticed we were again short a few more bodies. I guess some girls didn’t have that great of a morning… The Gamma Chis passed out our shirts and I noticed there was only one other girl in my group who would be my “life-long” sister. I had no clue who she was, but was happy to have someone to cling to. We, of course, had to take a million pictures and hug and congratulate one another on getting their house crush. I didn’t really take part in this, but instead examined my shirt. It was a themed shirt… Any guesses as to what theme? Flowers? Nope. Butterflies? Nope. Animal print? Nope. Glitter or even OSU theme? No sir-e-bob. Gambling… Yes… Casinos and gambling was the theme ladies and gents. How peculiar… My parents would be thrilled because they always loved them some Riverwind, but Doli and Joe are hardly the average parents to base anything off of. Well, let’s just say I safely assumed my new sorority knew how to have fun!

The next event they herded us off to was the big reveal of the Gamma Chis. See, this whole time we didn’t know what sorority our Gamma Chis belonged to… So we went to the student union and met up with the senior classes from all the houses and all the other girls who just pledged. It was SOOOO overwhelming. There were old girls who looked like they were 25, and then there were young girls who looked like they were 12. I was smiling and trying to pretend like I didn’t mind everyone hugging me and saying how we would all be best friends… But listen. We were not best friends. I didn’t even know these chicks’ names, so we were CERTAINLY not on hugging terms, but I gritted my teeth and continued on. PS- there MUST have been a memo that stated no jeans today, because not one other soul in the room was rocking out in jeans… or boots. I was soon going to find out why.

After the reveal, there was an event that can only be described as cruel and unusual punishment. “Running of the Girls.” This was where your new pledge class, the old seniors, and the revealed Gamma Chis of your house alllllllll RAN to your sorority. Yes. It was 103 degrees. Yes. It was Oklahoma humid. Yes. I was in jeans and boots. And yes. I did run the entire way. And, oh yeah. I was last. Real cool. Oh well, too late! They already extended me an invitation, and surely knew that I was not the girl who would be the Colvin Gym guru.

My house was not the farthest house, but it was a few blocks. By the time I saw my whole family standing there waiting for me, I was in a mini-asthma attack, sweat was soaking through my tank top AND my shirt, and my hair was a matted mess. Again, hugs (at least I knew these people!) and pictures. We were shuffled into the house and the most amazing thing happened…. We (the new members) were greeted with PRESENTS! Presents for the sorority, presents from my family, and presents from people I didn’t even know. Those people turned out to be my mom’s sorority sisters, but it was AWESOME. Some of the gifts I still use today while others were perhaps thrown away after my first semester. Either way it was a great great great surprise and welcome.

I tried to meet some new people, but it was hard. There were so many people around! Families, alumni, members, new members. The only way I could distinguish between them all was by their attire. Apparently every member and alumni (minus seniors) were rocking the casino themed t-shirt. Finally our parents were carted away to find out what kind of damage had just been done to their check book, while us new members were welcomed by our new SET team and New member educator. As we introduced ourselves, I could feel myself judging the girls. I knew I shouldn’t be, but it was something that couldn’t be stopped. By the time we had finished, I had come to the conclusion that we couldn’t have put together a more diverse and rag-tag team of girls. I hoped that’s how it always started…. Boring meeting stuff took place and we were given a calendar with events plastered all over it. At the time I don’t think that it even registered to me the time commitments on the piece of paper. I was slowly coming down from the running and present high. I was ready to leave sorority land and prepare for college classes.

Soon enough we were dismissed. I gathered all my new presents and family, and we headed for my dorm. I could not remember one girl in my new pledge class. I could barely remember where the darn house was located. I had never been so happy for it to all be over. Doli was jabbering the whole way about the Parents Club and how she had met so many lovely parents, and how I would just have an amazing time. I took her word for it and crossed my fingers that her words were true. The next 4 years would be amazing… Sometimes.