It actually happened again! This is my year for reconnecting with people. Anybody out there ever had a friend boy? You know what I mean. Your a girl, he’s a boy, you like each other a whole ton but it’s totally platonic. None of those nervous jitters, none of those threatening thoughts “what if he doesn’t call”, no worries about the first kiss, just nice uncomplicated friendship. The kind where you can say can you give me a ride, or how about let’s go see Rod Stuart.

I don’t even remember when we first met. He was just always there in my high school years. We saw each other thru romances and break-ups, talked on the phone until 3 AM and then turned around and went to school. After a concert neither one of us can remember which one, but I think it must have been Chicago, he was rummaging in the trunk of his car only to present me with the smallest birthday cake I had ever seen. You know the one that will feed 4. It was that kind of thoughtfulness that has sustained him in my heart all of these years.

We saw each other thru clothing trends, hip huggers, elephant bells, he actually had a pair of spats! We road in the homecoming parade and decked his red mustang convertible complete with boots for “stoppin”. I can’t remember who our opponent was or even if we won the game. The fun was in decorating the car and showing it off in the parade.

After high school we of course went our separate ways. Marriages, kids and houses later we found each other recently . Thru Facebook we’ve been following each other. Retired and living now in Arkansas his kids are still here. We’ve found that we still have a mutual love of repurposing, designing, and just plain getting our hands dirty. Of course none of this revealed itself when we were 17. Always curious to see what the other is up to, we started to keep track and occasionally posting comments to each other.

A couple of weeks ago he responded to my post “Let’s Talk About Sheets”. I responded with a threat! Don’t even think about coming to Omaha without stopping to see me. Oddly enough they were planning a trip up to see his daughters. Yesterday was the day. He and his husband pulled into the driveway with warm hugs and “You look just the same”! Although 45 years had gone by somehow it was true. We spent the next several hours just getting to know each other again. Swapping stories and thinking oh yeah here you are again. It was just so good “again”. Nothing complicated just friendship and conversation.

Thanks for taking the time to come and spend time with the husband and myself. Thanks for being such a good constant when I needed one the most, while trying to figure out who I would become.

Go out there and reconnect with someone who meant a great deal to you once. It’s like your fuzzy slippers and favorite sweater. It is so meaningful.

Thanks for stopping

Shelley