Christopher Street

Amy

I had a weird experience the other day. I was sending out an email to, well--to pretty much everyone in my address book. While I was doing this, I was thinking about my friend Amy, who is someone that I don't really have a good email address for. I mean, I know that she used to get email at her Dad's address, but that was a couple years ago and I am not sure if he even still has the account. So, I skipped over her entry and was sad about it.

Before we get to the part that's weird, though, you need to know more about Amy. I met Amy on August 28th, 1972, which is to say that I met her on the first day of first grade. I met a couple other people that day, Andrea Melzer ("Hi, I'm Andrea. A-N-D-R-E-A. So if you ever see a word spelled like that...it will be me"). David Rush, the object of my childhood affection well into the 5th grade. Probably others, Kelley Yurt or Nancy/Nancee Ziefel...but Amy stood out. Well, she and Andrea. I mean--who forgets a girl that spells at you right out of the gate?

Anyway, Amy. Amy was...God, she was glamorous and smart. She had really good hair. She was a dancer and a drummer in the band. She had perfect skin. She knew all about makeup...eye shadow and everything. Everyone loved her. I, on the other hand, was a bit of a dork. I had glasses and a gap between my teeth that you could drive a truck through. I couldn't dance. I had a bad complexion. I still don't know anything about eye shadow. I was the personification of uncool. But she was my friend, no matter how many cool points she lost because of it. She was never my best friend, nor was I hers. Avi and Sally filled those roles. But we were always good friends, great friends. Real friends. And we have been friends for 30 years. Outside of my family, no one on earth has known me as long as she has. That is a rare and precious thing. And, even though we have drifted farther apart now than ever before--I haven't seen her for, gosh--three years?--she still sends me a funny postcard every once in a while. And if she walked in the door tomorrow, we'd just pick up where we left off. I know because that's what we've always done.

So, to the weird part. Remember-I was sending all those emails, right and thinking about Amy...remember? So later that night, I get a call from my Mom.

Mom: "Guess who I saw in the grocery store tonight?"
Me: "Who?"
Mom: "Amy."
Me: You're kidding me. Amy. In the grocery store?

Turns out, Amy is living in Europe now. She's a flight attendant, and flies out of the states, is based out of the states, but spends most of her time in Amsterdam. There's apparently a boy in Amsterdam. She was home visiting her Mom and Dad and ran into my Mom. In a grocery store a l o n g way from Amsterdam. Mom said that she looked great--but I would expect no less. I mean, it was Amy, after all. :) She explained to my mom that she is a terrible friend, that she doesn't keep in touch and I am sure that she really feels bad about that. I also know that she knows that I don't hold it against her.

I mean, she's Amy. :)

Posted by Lori at November 13, 2002 12:55 AM