for RB
During my second grade year I became friends with the smartest girl in class. We were both quiet and shy, but not with each other. I have fond memories of recesses spent on the playground together, talking mostly or arguing over Three’s Company trading cards. Throughout elementary school we were close at school. I’m certain that I considered her my best friend. In sixth grade she was still the smartest girl in class and we were still friends. We’d both outgrown a bit of our shyness and were part of a circle of girl friends. There were 6 of us who hung around together and were called the gossip group by our teacher. (She meant it in a good-natured way; that name makes me cringe a little in retrospect though.) That year for my 12th birthday I had a slumber party at my house on the family farm. I invited the entire gossip group minus one – my friend since second grade. I lived in a small town and my family thought that I shouldn’t invite her because she's Black. I’ve never been able to forgive myself for leaving her out, but she did easily as soon as I explained that the decision had not been mine. As I got older and more strong-willed and my parents began to worry less about what other people thought things got better for me and my friend. We even double dated to the prom and she stayed over at my house that night, a real triumph. At the end of our senior year we were excited to be the first ever joint receipts of the French club scholarship. (We’d both taken four years of French. She was the president of the French club and I thought I was going to be a famous classical music vocalist who would spend her days singing en français.) Even though we attended different universities we stayed in touch. We continued seeing each other during our twenties. Now that we’ve reached the mid-thirties mark and life is more complicated I realize that we’ve lost touch and I miss her. I wonder how she is - I’m willing to bet that she’s still the smartest girl I know. I think we live in the same county now. I must look her up. Even though I wasn’t a good friend to her in sixth grade she was to me, something that I will never forget. I’ll bet our reunion will feel like we’ve never been apart. I’m off to google her right now.
During my second grade year I became friends with the smartest girl in class. We were both quiet and shy, but not with each other. I have fond memories of recesses spent on the playground together, talking mostly or arguing over Three’s Company trading cards. Throughout elementary school we were close at school. I’m certain that I considered her my best friend. In sixth grade she was still the smartest girl in class and we were still friends. We’d both outgrown a bit of our shyness and were part of a circle of girl friends. There were 6 of us who hung around together and were called the gossip group by our teacher. (She meant it in a good-natured way; that name makes me cringe a little in retrospect though.) That year for my 12th birthday I had a slumber party at my house on the family farm. I invited the entire gossip group minus one – my friend since second grade. I lived in a small town and my family thought that I shouldn’t invite her because she's Black. I’ve never been able to forgive myself for leaving her out, but she did easily as soon as I explained that the decision had not been mine. As I got older and more strong-willed and my parents began to worry less about what other people thought things got better for me and my friend. We even double dated to the prom and she stayed over at my house that night, a real triumph. At the end of our senior year we were excited to be the first ever joint receipts of the French club scholarship. (We’d both taken four years of French. She was the president of the French club and I thought I was going to be a famous classical music vocalist who would spend her days singing en français.) Even though we attended different universities we stayed in touch. We continued seeing each other during our twenties. Now that we’ve reached the mid-thirties mark and life is more complicated I realize that we’ve lost touch and I miss her. I wonder how she is - I’m willing to bet that she’s still the smartest girl I know. I think we live in the same county now. I must look her up. Even though I wasn’t a good friend to her in sixth grade she was to me, something that I will never forget. I’ll bet our reunion will feel like we’ve never been apart. I’m off to google her right now.
Notice how rb looks all classy and I look very 1989. sigh...
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