Cheers to old friends
Except we aren't old. Our friendship might be getting up there in years, but we aren't. Certainly not my friend, who does not look as old as we technically are.
I knew Beth from my early years. We went to the same church and she was my age. She might younger than I in years, but I felt she was older and wiser, mostly because she had all older siblings and "knew" things that I didn't, I having been the oldest of my set of sibs with no one to tell me about how boys operated, what music is cool, or how to avoid being a dork.
Even during the high school years (Beth went to a different school), in my eyes, Beth exuded cool. She would not agree with me, I'm fairly sure, but I didn't know that then. Teenagers are not known for effective communication skills, are they? How was Beth cool? Her hair. She had a wicked mane of blond hair that she could get to look really big. She laughs about her hairstyle then, but I still secretly love 80s big hair. She had awesome clothes. She laughed a lot and seemed to me to be unafraid to stand up for herself and voice her opinions. And she was really good friends with Marianne, who I also wanted to be friends with. One time, Beth and Marianne invited me to come with them to a party. It was not the kind of party that I was used to and I wished I were more "cool" so I could feel like I fit in among the group (which, by the way, is an impossibility for just about any teenager that ever existed). The fact that they were even invited to the party impressed me immensely. And I was grateful that they felt I was ok enough to tag along. (what insecurity! But such is the brain of a female under the age of "I've learned not to care so much about what people think of me")
We lost contact after a year in college, but thanks to the internet, and a couple of reunion opportunities, we have reconnected. She writes a blog and I enjoy getting to know her better through reading it.
We also got to visit yesterday! When the time for our trip to UT drew close, she invited us over and we were able to make the trip work. She has a great house in the mountains near Park City, which she says is visited frequently by moose. She was a gracious host, and even suggested that my kids wander around her yard and explore. AND she told Matt and her son to go out and smash pumpkins. Matt perked right up to that. He could get into some pre-approved destruction! And she thinks Hayley is cool (I do too, by the way, but I imagine that there are some people in my circle of acquaintance that might think otherwise)
Here is the point in the blog post where I would post the group picture we took while visiting. Sadly I do not yet have access to the pictures that most assuredly taken, so this point will have to remain blank for now.
Beth, I love you! You are still cool.
I knew Beth from my early years. We went to the same church and she was my age. She might younger than I in years, but I felt she was older and wiser, mostly because she had all older siblings and "knew" things that I didn't, I having been the oldest of my set of sibs with no one to tell me about how boys operated, what music is cool, or how to avoid being a dork.
Even during the high school years (Beth went to a different school), in my eyes, Beth exuded cool. She would not agree with me, I'm fairly sure, but I didn't know that then. Teenagers are not known for effective communication skills, are they? How was Beth cool? Her hair. She had a wicked mane of blond hair that she could get to look really big. She laughs about her hairstyle then, but I still secretly love 80s big hair. She had awesome clothes. She laughed a lot and seemed to me to be unafraid to stand up for herself and voice her opinions. And she was really good friends with Marianne, who I also wanted to be friends with. One time, Beth and Marianne invited me to come with them to a party. It was not the kind of party that I was used to and I wished I were more "cool" so I could feel like I fit in among the group (which, by the way, is an impossibility for just about any teenager that ever existed). The fact that they were even invited to the party impressed me immensely. And I was grateful that they felt I was ok enough to tag along. (what insecurity! But such is the brain of a female under the age of "I've learned not to care so much about what people think of me")
We lost contact after a year in college, but thanks to the internet, and a couple of reunion opportunities, we have reconnected. She writes a blog and I enjoy getting to know her better through reading it.
We also got to visit yesterday! When the time for our trip to UT drew close, she invited us over and we were able to make the trip work. She has a great house in the mountains near Park City, which she says is visited frequently by moose. She was a gracious host, and even suggested that my kids wander around her yard and explore. AND she told Matt and her son to go out and smash pumpkins. Matt perked right up to that. He could get into some pre-approved destruction! And she thinks Hayley is cool (I do too, by the way, but I imagine that there are some people in my circle of acquaintance that might think otherwise)
Here is the point in the blog post where I would post the group picture we took while visiting. Sadly I do not yet have access to the pictures that most assuredly taken, so this point will have to remain blank for now.
Beth, I love you! You are still cool.
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