Bette:  I wish I had been given that advise.  For the most part I was always in the here and now in my thinking.  I never thought about where things were going. I did what I wanted to, when I wanted to without any thought as to the risk of a misadventure. Some things I did in college were just downright dangerous. I’m lucky that I made it through in one piece.

Tina:  But you were a good student, weren’t you? You maintained your grades and got your Master’s degree and your doctorate? You started out as a gallery assistant right out of college. You’ve had a very successful professional career.

Bette:  Yes, that is true.  But my personal life was always a mess. I was never sure as to who I was.  I was discovering that I was attracted to women in an era when that was considered a mortal sin and a rebellion against the natural order of things. Most people develop friendships in college which last a lifetime.  I didn’t do that.  My lifetime friendships did not develop until I had been out in the world for a decade.

Tina:  Did you not know other lesbians while you were in college?

Bette:  Yes, I knew a few. But they were also in the dating circle and as well as the friendship circle. And for the most part, gay people were so busy hiding from being discovered, it was hard to develop and maintain a friendship. And once college was over, we all went our separate ways and never stayed in touch.  I guess my best friend in college was Kelly Freemont.  But we were never that close. And when she found out that I was attracted to her, well, she ran and barely ever spoke to me again. So that ended that until she showed up in Los Angeles with a new art gallery some ten years ago.

Tina:  Well, I didn’t develop a whole lot of lasting friendships while I was in college either.  Of course, I was a straight girl looking for that perfect man.  And the girls which I shared living space with were always attached to some man so we never develop anything more than acquaintances.  I spent my college life just drifting for the most part. It was after I got my job with Universal Studios that I started to date Eric. Prior to meeting you, I had a few friends whom I meet at work. But I would never consider those people particularly close.