Diadeloso

Email is the lifeline between you, your family, old friends back home, and new friends abroad, as well as the communication vehicle that keeps you updated on all the People and Entertainment Weekly articles you have been missing out on, such as “Bradgelina” and Desperate Housewives (no, I can’t watch anything over here, including DH). I run to my email every morning, eagerly waiting to hear those words “You’ve Got Mail”, which means that I have some email goodies waiting for me. This reaction is very much akin to Pavlov’s Dog (for all your business majors) or antique shopping at Roundtop (for those antique-aholics). After wading through the ads, the CNN and NY Times new briefs, and other interesting, but not very personal emails, the last thing you expect to see is an invitation to a Baylor Alumni function...in Germany.

Well, I must confess, I was uncertain as to whether it was simply a cruel joke…to tempt me with the possibility of seeing home folks, or some new computer virus that was somehow trying to penetrate my email space under the friendly guise of “Here Come the Bears”. Thankfully, it was neither, as I soon found out.

Yes, as the email indicated, The Baylor International Network and Baylor Alumni Association were hosting a number of BU Diadeloso events around the country, and even in a few international locations. And as luck would have it, they were coming to Heidelberg to have a Diadeloso event. For those of you not acquainted with “Baylor speak”, Diadeloso, translated from Spanish, is “Day of the Bear”. It is a campus-wide event that was even in existence when Buddy and I were at Baylor which resulted in a day off from classes, usually involving a gorgeous spring day and a huge mudfight. Anyway, back in Germany, an invitation had been extended to celebrate in the charming town of Heidelberg with other BU grads in commemoration of this special day.

OK, an open invitation like that can always be a bit dicey. Will anyone really show up? Will we travel all that way and there be no event? I can enthusiastically say that about 30-35 other BU alums from around Germany descended on the Heidelberg zoo to share in an American-style picnic with “real” Dr. Pepper. The Dr. Pepper was reason enough to go…seeing Baylor people was the icing on the cake.

Seriously though, it was grand fun to meet other Baylor grads, and to share “living overseas” stories. Although we did not know any of the people at the event, we all knew mutual friends (a.k.a. “6 degrees of separation”, but in this case it was only about 2 or 3). Some of the people were with the military, we had a few missionaries starting churches, a few teachers working for DOD, a couple of opera singers, and even a few business types thrown in (that was Buddy and I). Three hours later, we were still chatting up a storm with these “kindred spirits”, and exchanging email and contact details.

I'd like to think that any group of foreigners would have been this warm and welcoming, but I must confess, I think there is a special bond between Baylor folk…no matter where you are…no matter if you have been friends for 25 years or for 25 minutes…Baylor people are just some of the best people you can ever hope to know.

A special thanks to Brent Edwards and his “extended” team in Heidelberg for pulling the event together. Visiting with Baylor alums was a perfect ending to a great weekend in Heidelberg and was really good for “our expat souls” which had been suffering a little culture shock in the recent move to Germany.

For those of you who are BU alums, be sure and register online with the Baylor Network so that they can connect with you and connect you to BU events in your area. Website is: http://www.baylor.edu/alumni.

Sic ‘em bears!