Hey! Welcome to 52 weeks until I’m 50 years old! Actually it’s now 16 weeks until I’m 50! If you are new to my blog, to the right are other subjects I’ve written about. Some may resonate with you or at least give you a chuckle. If you are counting down with me…holy crap! I’m so old, I counted incorrectly! LOL! I rechecked my weeks and I’m 16 away from today! Math was never my strongest subject! Ha!
“Oh yes…wait a minute Mr. Postman…!” Remember that tune? I performed it with two other chicks in middle school in a talent show. Well, not really. They froze on stage and I sang it by myself and realized when I put the mic down afterwards that I said “Oh Shit!” for everyone in the audience to hear!
Ever write letters that were never sent? Better yet, ever write letters and forget that you sent them? This past weekend, I took a road trip from Orlando, after my Disney race, to Sarasota to visit a friend from the past. We went to Deerfield Beach Middle School together. I recently reconnected with her on Facebook. Yup. 33 years later. Haven’t seen or spoken to her since May 1976. This confirms my thoughts that there are no accidents.
You never really know how time has changed someone. Life experiences, loss, things you didn’t realize were part of the picture when you were in their lives years ago… You may even have had a profound effect on them an are unaware. I am also super grateful to my Mom who has kept lots of crap I use to have in my bedroom. She surprises me occasionally with manila envelopes containing pictures, letters and other reminders from my youth. I hid the important evidence elsewhere! LOL. The letters I’m referring to (for this blog) are to my middle school friend. And, yes, I just had to bring them on my trip. I decided not to read them ahead of time. Why? I quickly read one which was a poem about friendship and literally laughed my a** off. I’ve included it above in the images so you can read how truly bad it was! And, I figured it would be more fun to read them together. If I were going to be humiliated or embarrassed, it’s more fun to have a witness! Come on…I’m trying to be “fearless!” Is it working? LOL!
Fast forward or rewind… to last Sunday night, 11 pm. Two old friends on a couch reading March through May 1976 letters that were never sent. Tears from her remembering my “looking out for her.” Giggles from me as I listened to the regurgitation of my words over and over. I had two pages from one letter that beat the dead horse so many times…he was ground meat! We were howling at how I said the same thing over for all those pages on March 24th,1976! She said she felt sorry for my husband if I still beat the dead horse like that now! Ha! The letters were clear that we were headed to different high schools and I was feeling the shift in our friendship. It was so compelling to read my writing back then and see who I’ve become now. More interesting, to hear how she experienced my Mom and Dad. It was one of the most awesome times I’ve ever had reconnecting with my past. She shot me a few quick facial moves and there it was…that look from the past that connected the now. And, my constant giggling that reminded her of the old “machine gun” laugh I have when I find something funny. We filled each other in and laughed or teared during each others stories. It’s as if we never missed a beat.
I’m still able to fly my freak flag around her. She still can fly hers. For those who think Facebook is silly, it is. And it’s also so much more. It is a place to discover who you are now by sometimes reconnecting with the who you were then. I want to be found. I am not looking to be anonymous. I want to share letters unsent and feelings I forgot to share. I’m willing to take a chance! Damn it… I’m almost 50…”Oh Yes…Wait a minute Mr. Postman”…Oh screw that…just inbox your old pals! It’s so much faster!
Thanks for visiting and I hope you had a chuckle. You can subscribe to be notified when I blog below by signing up, follow me on Twitter @GatorgirlPress or Twitter @Diningduchess, follow me on Facebook @RandiAileenPress or Facebook@DiningDuchess. Or if you’d like to write me directly, my email is randi@52TO50.com.