Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 12, 1994 TAG: 9404120112
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Allison Blake
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They have a band. I hear them right now, jamming Santana up through thin walls. It must be a practice weekend.
We are the reason Blacksburg enacted its restrictive block party ordinance. We lead completely different lives. We try, however, to give each other a break.
The most joyous such example came a few weeks back. I was flying out on a 7 a.m. Saturday flight to meet up with my significant other, who'd been out of town. We were planning a late-winter break, a weekend in New York. Logistically, though, that meant I had to get up not long after 5. Yuk. I wandered in Friday evening and, half-expecting a call that wasn't registered by blinking light, and anyway. ``Hey. It's Aaron. I hope it's OK - we're having a party tonight. We just found out. Three bands.''
Normally, one argues that it's great for neighbors to tell neighbors of pending late-night soirees. However, after a long week, I already was feeling dismal about getting up at 5 o'clock Saturday morning. I picked up the phone.
``Hey guys,'' I said. ``I guess it's too late to cancel the party.'' I explained the situation. Then came the miracle for which all of Blacksburg prays. John and Aaron offered to put me up in a hotel. They even made a reservation for me. Then they dropped by with the cash. We sat down and had a beer and talked about things.
I like these guys. We just live different lives. As it worked out, staying in a hotel put me on my way. Blacksburg to Roanoke's a drive that could use an extra 10 minutes shaved off when you're in a hurry, and I made the flight with a few minutes to spare.
Bridging the gap between nose-to-the-grindstone workers and spontaneity-driven students will be a never-ending task in this little town, where all that post-adolescent energy expended in youthfully eccentric fashion is half the draw. Who doesn't want to harken back to those halcyon days? It seems to me we're all a lot better off if we try to be respectful.
College students have a way of living in their own world, but the guys next door went above and beyond that night to promote duplex harmony.
I feel like calling their parents to compliment them. I told the landlady, and she's probably still ecstatic. Vibes were so good that Friday night when I broached another possible scheduling conflict.
``When's graduation? My parents are coming to visit the first weekend in May,'' I said, wondering about hotel reservations. ``Isn't that exam time? Are you going to be studying? Or partying?''
``Oh,'' said John, breezily trying to bridge our gap. ``They won't bother us.''
by CNB