You Are Cordially Invited to a Tea Party

Really? Are we 65 years old?!

How often do find yourself invited to tea parties (partays?), wine and cheese shindigs, cocktail parties, and soirées? I’m going to say way more than tailgates, keggers, and other “ragers” of that sort. Why do we prefer to sip tea and pretend that we actually like scones in stodgy clothing rather than revel in the youthful activities of our peers at other institutions? It seems as though Harvard students are too quick to give up on conventional and somewhat age-appropriate social activities in exchange for classy, sophisticated events, where let’s be honest… we’re not always having that much fun. Does being the best and the brightest mean that we also have to be the mildest and the lamest?

This fine alumni weekend here on campus I had the opportunity to share a table with some members of the class of 1963. A man and his wife sat across the table from another alumni couple sipping tea. The man, Rupert something or another, introduced himself and quickly began rattling off his accomplishments, membership in various organizations, and just how busy he is these days. If it weren’t for the raspy twang of old age I would have been certain it was one of my peers at the end of the table. It’s unlikely that he was acting like a 20 year old and far more likely that we all behave as though we are in our late 60s.

Maybe we are too mature, or maybe we are too immature to realize that we are willingly giving up some of the best times of our lives. Just something to consider while you are biting in to your next scone…