Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Tell Me A Story


My gosh, old friends. Friends that have long vanished down the tunnel of their own lives, breathing and doing and celebrating and grieving - without you.

I can never sing the praises of FaceBook loudly enough. As I've mentioned before.

I had a friend, 12 years older than me – though I had forgotten exactly how much older she was as she had that younger energy around her until she reminded me. We played bridge in those days. A lot. In the absence of a foursome, her 12 year old son and my 9 year old daughter filled the gap. We were lucky they were so brilliant.

We lived around the corner from each other in a small town in Ontario. In enormous century homes of red brick and atmosphere. History breathed from each others' walls. I've never lost my love for old houses, obviously.

We cottaged (a uniquely Ontario term for going off to a wilderness cabin for a while) with our kids and husbands of the time. And drank together. Boy, did we drink together. The name of the cottage was “While You're Up”. Tells you everything you need to know. And then there was an incident, as there sometimes is. And the friendship survives or it doesn't, And ours went into a coma.

But I never forgot. And neither did she apparently. Because through FaceBook we have reconnected and it's been so very easy after, oh my, 35 years perhaps. So we now email. Lengthily. We pursued our individual artistic souls after we 'broke up'. And she ended one of her recent emails with: “Tell me a story”.

And so I did and ended mine today with: “Tell me one.”

This could go on for a very long time.

18 comments:

  1. Ladies of letters in real life, Between the two of you, sure you will have a book in no time at all. Enjoy!

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  2. How very lovely and I guess there will be many stories to share.

    A similar thing happened to me about 2 years ago: I reconnected with a contemporary after 53 years. We'd last spoke when we were 16, when boyfriends and moves away created a rift. We reconnected through school references on Friends Reunited. Now we email, play Scrabble on line and sometimes talk on the phone. The years just melted away.

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  3. GM:

    Only people of our age get this I'm sure. Daughter thinks it so odd to take up old friendships. I say to her - I'm incessantly nosy (but I believe in a nice way) about others' lives. It's the writer in me.

    XO
    WWW

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  4. Pam:

    Such a huge gap (2 generations) in your long ago friendship, how wonderful for you that you reconnected!

    XO
    WWW

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  5. I am so grateful to the Internet for re-uniting me with my oldest friend. We now keep in touch via Facebook.

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  6. Oh my
    I searched and searched and also my daughter tried to help
    locate a special teenage friend in another state
    Do not know her married name
    and she was 3 years older then me and may not be living at this time :)
    Could not find her
    and memories of special times
    flood my mind
    from time to time.
    Lucky you...

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  7. Aw, that's great! I love reconnecting with old friends.

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  8. Ohhh, I really like this "story." I pictured you, her, the kids, the husbands, the cabin...

    ...and now the fb reunion.

    I have yet to search for old acquaintances on fb because I don't feel that I have time to nourish the relationship. I have many friends and even more via blogging; however, I look forward to reconnecting with people of my past when my life calms down; i.e. when last child goes off to college. :)

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  9. Reconnections like that are wonderful. I did reconnect with an old workmate about a year ago but she didn't want to keep in contact for some reason. I like the idea of you telling each other stories.

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  10. Hattie:

    That is so wonderful! I've had a few now and it gladdens my heart too.

    XO
    WWW

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  11. OWJ:

    Have you tried "Friends Reunited" it might help. I found an old boyfriend that way but so unhappy I did, LOL. He had become a prig and a snob and sooooo conservative it made my flesh crawl.
    XO
    WWW

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  12. SAW:

    She has had a very interesting life, specializing in Japanese art.

    More to follow.

    XO
    WWW

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  13. Anita:

    Yes, we get held down in all we desire to do by familial responsibilities.

    The balancing act.

    I'm sure you'll find the time later.

    XO
    WWW

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  14. Nick:

    Yes, it is extraordinary how the once-connections can be so reinforced once more.

    Sorry to hear about your workmate. Usually it has nothing to do with you, per se but a lot to do with how their lives have turned out and maybe not willing to share unhappiness. Happy people love to share I found.

    XO
    WWW

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  15. I blogged about a reconnection in one of my recent blogs. Suffice it to say, it is leading into some very interesting places!

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  16. You know where to find me.....

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  17. Ramana:

    yes indeed! The unfolding of a new journey :)

    XO
    WWW

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  18. OK I'll play, Anon. Give me just one of your initials and let me find you.
    XO
    WWW

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