The Kindness of Strangers

Attend graduation committee meeting. Moderator of meeting--who have never seen before in my life--says she is so glad to see me again. Make noncommital noises. At beginning of meeting she says that she really hopes that meeting will be Very Short, an hour and a half, tops. Moderator's relationship to the truth and to reality apparently not close. Other attendees of the meeting conversational. Libby gives long speech about how graduations used to be. There is agreement adn disagreement at excruciating length. Only recourse is to draw detailed sketch of unicorn which later when look at see looks exactly like obese, maimed bull. Am mentally exhuasted by meeting and walk in a daze to neighborhood sandwich and soup shop. Owner calls me over and gives me small cup of beans, which are very salty. Owner and I have a discussion about cooking -- her philosophy is that the person eating the food shouldn't be able to tell exactly what the ingredients are. Disagree somewhat because can taste the bean, the garlic and the salt and think that there is no better combination in the world.