stranger in a strange land

hookah
Two young men were sitting outside on the ground 20+ feet away from their residence hall exit on this beautiful autumn afternoon. They casually passed each other the business end of the hookah they were sharing, looking for all the world like their indulgence was the most mundane, average, typical event taking place at this quiet little university that is looking forward to announcing a homecoming king and queen tomorrow.

I'm feeling like the foreigner here. These two defied my reaction that they were doing something odd or unusual. I've heard that this is becoming a trend, and now I've seen it with my own eyes. After a dozen or a hundred sightings, I'm sure I won't give it a second thought. The United States has a long history of adopting diverse cultural phenomena and making them its own.

It's a good thing the guys were sitting more than 15 feet from their door--the new smoking policy went into effect last month.

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