My best friend from seventh grade, Kath, is coming to visit early next week. We met in the gifted program when we were 12 and did many dork-tastic things together during our tweener and teenage years. (For example, when normal kids were hanging out at the mall or listening to records, Kath and I were holed up in her bedroom giving each other the silliest sounding titles we could think of, then the other person had five minutes to write a poem based on the title. We also spent our summers in supplemental gifted classes instead of going to the beach. Yes, we dated much later than most of our peers -- thanks for asking.)
We took driver's ed together, were officers in the junior high French club together, played community soccer together, were camp counselors together, and hung out at each other's houses almost every single day after school. And still...we had to pass notes to each other in the hallway every day. (How else could I fully express just HOW dreamy Matt Lynn was, if not through the power of the written word?)We also used to go to the Naro theater in Norfolk to see movies. (It was an independent movie theater that showed some pretty cool stuff.) We went to see Jon Waters' "Polyester" there -- the one that was shown in "odorama" (a scratch 'n sniff card that corresponded to the action on the screen). Kath got in trouble after that at the dinner table for saying that #7 on the card was a fart.
Because of districting in Va. Beach, we ended up going to different high schools, and then senior year, her dad got a job as an editor with the New York Times, so she moved to New Jersey. Then, she went on to Brown University and then worked for Brown University and has since held jobs that are totally cool and creative and community-minded. I want to be her when I grow up.
I don't see her enough, but when I do, it's like we're 12 again. (Canetto is always like, "I've figured you two out. You say something and she laughs. Then, she repeats the exact same thing and you laugh." To which I reply, "Well, duh.") She stayed a week right after Avery was born and is one of those people that just knows how to make me laugh while I'm completely sleep-deprived and perpetually attached to a breast pump.
My parents always thought of her as a third child, and to this day I'm convinced they liked her more than they liked me. Once, when she spent the night, my parents took her and my sister out for breakfast at 1:00am because I had fallen asleep and they thought it would be fun. I had to hear about how great it was when I woke up the next day. Waking me up to join them is apparently an option that never crossed anyone's mind.
Kath has a girlfriend now and they've been together at least a couple of years and she is so happy. I have yet to meet her girlfriend and all Kath has told me about her is that she looks like Bea Arthur. Moments ago, I was replying to an e-mail from Kath and started humming something without thinking. Realized it was the theme song to "The Golden Girls." My subconscious is a card.
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