Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Anne
Life with the next-door neighbors has been scary and tense. So I'm glad to have something happy to write about.
Today is my friend Anne's birthday!
I've known Anne for 16 years. I met her my first year of college, at University of Missouri - Columbia ... AKA Mizzou. We knew OF each other, before we knew each other. We hung out with the same group of people, but never really spent much time together. To tell you the truth (and I love telling people this), I didnt like her much. She was moody, and everyone seemed to dote on her. It seemed like she was always the center of attention. I just decided I'd let everyone else pay attention to her, and I'd keep on with my happy freshman life. What I didnt know is how much personal hell she was going through, both physically and emotionally. I dont know exactly what she thought of me, but apparently she saw that I listened to people. *laugh*
When we came home for Thanksgiving break, (we were both from St.Louis), she made me memorize her home phone number (I still know it!) and I gave her mine. I didnt really expect her to use it ... but use it, she did! She needed someone to talk to, she called, we talked ... and talked ... and talked some more. That was my first clue about some of the things that were going on in her life.
After that phone call, it became more like having a sister. We had a lot in common, and I found something at college that I'd been looking for... someone I could lean on and trust. I had Jason, my "best male friend" ... and then I had Anne.
We'd take walks around campus, talk, laugh, cry, be silly, commiserate about guys ... stay up playing on the computer (yes, we were geeks even back in 1989) ... we shared a lot. We had planned on being roommates the next year, but I then changed that plan by transferring to a school out in Pennsylvania ... HOWEVER ...
Then we worked out at camp in Michigan together. I introduced Anne to the wonders and magic of Miniwanca. We stayed in a dorm up at camp, a 360 acre property on Lake Michigan, and were roomies up there. It worked out really well. Usually you think it'd be hard sharing a 10x10 room with someone, day and night, for 3 months ... but we knew when to leave each other alone, when the other person was "invisible" ... She read me bedtime stories, and I instinctively knew when she needed some time alone with her teddybear for a good cry.
When I went away to Pennsylvania to school, there were a few rocky times ... Bill ... but nothing worth losing our friendship over.
We got used to being apart, and but did talk less.
Years and years passed ... life happened ... sometimes a few months would pass without our talking, sometimes we'd talk almost daily. *grin*
I was Maid of Honor in her wedding several years ago. I wish I could have been in town to do more, but it was beautiful. Anne was running late for her own wedding, btw. Hair problems. *grin* Just thought I'd share that. And I'd also like to share that kneeling on an injured knee is painful. *laugh*
So 16 years have passed. People have come and gone. We've loved and lost, there have been births and deaths among our family and friends. Like I mentioned on my LiveJournal entry ... Anne, I'm glad you were born!!
Today is my friend Anne's birthday!
I've known Anne for 16 years. I met her my first year of college, at University of Missouri - Columbia ... AKA Mizzou. We knew OF each other, before we knew each other. We hung out with the same group of people, but never really spent much time together. To tell you the truth (and I love telling people this), I didnt like her much. She was moody, and everyone seemed to dote on her. It seemed like she was always the center of attention. I just decided I'd let everyone else pay attention to her, and I'd keep on with my happy freshman life. What I didnt know is how much personal hell she was going through, both physically and emotionally. I dont know exactly what she thought of me, but apparently she saw that I listened to people. *laugh*
When we came home for Thanksgiving break, (we were both from St.Louis), she made me memorize her home phone number (I still know it!) and I gave her mine. I didnt really expect her to use it ... but use it, she did! She needed someone to talk to, she called, we talked ... and talked ... and talked some more. That was my first clue about some of the things that were going on in her life.
After that phone call, it became more like having a sister. We had a lot in common, and I found something at college that I'd been looking for... someone I could lean on and trust. I had Jason, my "best male friend" ... and then I had Anne.
We'd take walks around campus, talk, laugh, cry, be silly, commiserate about guys ... stay up playing on the computer (yes, we were geeks even back in 1989) ... we shared a lot. We had planned on being roommates the next year, but I then changed that plan by transferring to a school out in Pennsylvania ... HOWEVER ...
Then we worked out at camp in Michigan together. I introduced Anne to the wonders and magic of Miniwanca. We stayed in a dorm up at camp, a 360 acre property on Lake Michigan, and were roomies up there. It worked out really well. Usually you think it'd be hard sharing a 10x10 room with someone, day and night, for 3 months ... but we knew when to leave each other alone, when the other person was "invisible" ... She read me bedtime stories, and I instinctively knew when she needed some time alone with her teddybear for a good cry.
When I went away to Pennsylvania to school, there were a few rocky times ... Bill ... but nothing worth losing our friendship over.
We got used to being apart, and but did talk less.
Years and years passed ... life happened ... sometimes a few months would pass without our talking, sometimes we'd talk almost daily. *grin*
I was Maid of Honor in her wedding several years ago. I wish I could have been in town to do more, but it was beautiful. Anne was running late for her own wedding, btw. Hair problems. *grin* Just thought I'd share that. And I'd also like to share that kneeling on an injured knee is painful. *laugh*
So 16 years have passed. People have come and gone. We've loved and lost, there have been births and deaths among our family and friends. Like I mentioned on my LiveJournal entry ... Anne, I'm glad you were born!!
# posted by Elims @ 6:35 PM 
