October 16, 1972 (Letter from Mardi)

It was good to get a letter from you last week.  It was really funny.  Carol Gus called Sue last week and Sue wasn't in and I spoke to her for awhile and we were discussing Foster's situation etc and I said something about you and Carol said Mike had gotten a letter from you and you were having trouble deciding what to do.  Who doesn't.  She made it sound rather serious though and I thought:  "golly gee" what is Nelson doing.  So I receive your letter and see you are as fine as as usual as you usually are, huh?

So do you have your hot Chevy yet?  It sounds like a good car.  I just hope it runs well for you.  It's close to a van!?  I know where you can get a mail truck for $475 in good shape.  Steering wheel on the right side and everything.

What is it you're going to do, was it travel around or what?  I didn't get a thing straight on that.  You're definitely not going on to grad school, right?  At least not yet.  I can't keep tack of everyone's plans, especially from letters.  You're right about "those good old college days" and grad school but believe me (for you it may be entirely different) but IT DOESN'T"T GET EASIER -- Is that profound or what?  Just watch it buddy cause you can really get behind.  And don't think it might not happen to you, because fate doesn't work that way.  All of a sudden for a number of "good reasons" (they are all good), you have no money, so you work and then you can't stop working and it gets harder to get into grad school.  BLAH BLAH BLAH -- Maybe I'm saying all this shit because I know a lot of people who would like to be in your situation now but it has passed them by.  There is only a moment when you can do these things and if you don't take that moment the fuckin world looks like it's closing in on you.  You've got to outsmart things, you've got to have perfect timing.  I know that I'm never going to be able to travel around the country like you.  I should have done that when I first left Mpls but there was just no agreement I would reach with myself.  Then just as I decided to go to Cape Cod with Barb, POWIE one golf club in the head -- now what kind of fucking thing is that to determine part of my life?  But it did,k I mean I could have been living on Cape Cod and sailing with the Kennedys.

I feel like mother hen.  You're damn well going to do what you want anyway!

Anyway I'm very happy and everything is fine.  I only wish Bill could find a JOB!!!!!  Today is his birthday but we celebrated Sat night.  I found him a ring while strolling around Kinkytown at the U.  You just can't knock it there is something about a college campus in the fall and the sound of the rah rah of the football games that gets ya right in the old nostalgia-melancholy-"The autumn leaves drift by my window" type of deal.  I'm too mush and dig all that stuff anyway.  But our lives are happy and these are the best days and everything is better.  We're so much stronger in some way -- the right ways and our weaknesses are for the things we love.

I must close and get busy around here.

I finally bought a new bed.  A bed, I'm actually going to sleep in a bed!!!  My apt looks a little more decent, I've painted and tried to get all "homey" things for home living!!!!

Bill sends a BIG HELLO!

Take care take care.