Lawrence: Songs of time and change
Now at the end of my time at Yale, I’ve thought back to a lunch in Venice I enjoyed with friends in the Yale Glee Club while we were on concert tour after my sophomore year. As we talked, our conversation came to childhood. One friend observed that in childhood, gifts were things, like toys; but now, gifts are experiences, like a dinner or concert with friends. The difference: An experience is more meaningful, and brings a deeper joy. But a thing exists forever. An experience ends, irretrievably.
We didn’t realize at the time that our lunch in Venice was itself irretrievable. Soon,...
