When I read of Adlai Stevenson's name (and this goes for Ansel Adams' too), I think of him as a man free from slavery who adopted his former master's name and went on to become a champion of civil rights and education. I mean, Adlai seems not to be a favorite first name these days. Little did I know that he was pretty much a man of this lifetime, a former two-time presidential candidate and a former ambassador to the UN who had held various other careers before.

And then, I think about the time when I took HIST 105. That 8 AM class in the winter -- granted that it was a Texas winter. About the short-sleeve-and-tie professor and his British accent. That the accent definitely did not contribute to my comprehension to the materials. About the two classmates who have met and married the men of their dream.

And then I think about the bright-eyed, high-spirited 18-year-old who had big dreams and thoughts to conquer the world alone. Eek, where did she go?