Everyone remembers sick days from elementary school. You were able to stay home, watch TV, you drank a lot of juice, and your mom took care of you. Well, when you get to college it works a little bit differently.
As a young freshman at Wabash College living in the Lambda Chi Alpha house I had the unfortunate experience of getting a really terrible bout of the flu. Friday night I went to see “Anger Management” with some of the guys from the house. After the movie we got back and I realized I wasn’t feeling well.
I spent the next three or four hours oscillating between the bathroom and my couch. I was running a fever, I couldn’t sit up, I felt like I had just been hit by a train. After a while, the guys that were still around started to come in and check on me to make sure I wasn’t dying. Well, Dave Pitcher and Sean Gallagher were convinced I wasn’t dying, but they also thought I was in need of some medical attention. They convinced me to go the hospital and drove me there, my head in a garbage bag the entire way. After we arrived I was given several IVs and a few wonder drugs before I would be released in the morning. Dave and Sean stayed with me all night watching reruns of Saved by the Bell and Matlock until the doctors said I could go in the morning. After I got out the guys from the house talked to my parents and explained what had happened, that I was ok now, and that I was recovering nicely. They let me watch TV, brought me lots of juice, and generally took care of me. It was amazing how good a handful of 18-22 year old guys were at “playing mom”.
I will never forget that night. Especially because that is the night I really realized what it means to be a brother. It’s not just about sharing the good times, it’s about helping out in the rough times. Neither Dave nor Sean had to stay with me but they both did. They put their lives on hold to make sure I wasn’t going to be alone when I felt worst, and that small gesture made all the difference in the world.
This post was submitted by Matthew Ripley '06.
Are you sure you weren’t just sick from having watched Anger Management? Thanks for the story, Matt.
Somehow I managed to get the flu three seperate times at Wabash! My freshman, junior, and senior years. I don’t know why anyone wanted to room with me. I was just lucky enough to have great wallies willing to brave it. I don’t know about any of the other houses, but at LCA it seemed like anytime anyone was sick everyone came and checked on them even if it was just to say “stay away”. And in my defense when Anger Management came out Adam Sandler was still making mildly entertaining films.