22. Sophomore on repeat at A.U.B.
By the time I turned 19, I had already completed all the credits required for my sophomore year at Haigazian College. On paper, it looked like steady progress. In reality, it was a growing understanding of the demands on me to focus, be disciplined and most especially of being willing to grow up quickly. The effort I put in at that point would shape the possibilities waiting for me later. During the years 1966 to 1970, the post-school years of my time in Lebanon together with my family, the country transitioned from a period of relative prosperity and stability into a period of acute political and economic chaos. The years until those changes have often been called the ‘Golden Age’ of Lebanon. People came from all over the world to enjoy the cosmopolitan life and the rich cultural blend of tradition and modernity in a bustling Beirut. Arabic, French, Italian and English were common parlance. People would socialise for long hours over coffee and baklava, explore the diverse m...