Auld Acquaintance

Lest they be forgot, we must mention old friends, like those who were born a continent away at the same time on the same day and actually met and became good friends. I don’t do BFF’s here, people, go to another blog.

My mentor and priest called recently, the man next to my father that I’ve known the longest (34 years) called me out of the blue.

I’m wrong on that, as my brother is 45 but I was away in college and working for years so that may be a tie.

Old friends, that is what I’m restricted to. Steven Gordon in the second grade for being the only other reader who our parents took out of phonics because we could already read so we read fourth-grade books and I went beyond, reading Death Be Not Proud and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Beverly for being a sweet and loving country gal, Debbie for sleepovers and Mary Anne for being fun. In high school it was Julie but we had other friends. Debbie (a different Debbie) ended up being fake, and our friend Mitzi, a Mormon, died in a car accident on a trip to Utah at age 16. Julie and I have been in touch again for a couple of years, through her mother’s knitting shop. We were born the same day, same time in different countries (her Dad was stationed overseas).

College. Ugh. Can one count The Swamp as a friend? I was all but their sorority sister, but Brian’s the point man here. He’s the fixer, he puts people back together, amasses groups at annual reunions and attends funerals. We thank Jerry Jeff Walker and London Homesick Blues for keeping us together all these years. Cheers and happy New Year!

Those are the oldest friends, a few of whom I’m still in touch with.