A Walk Down Memory Lane

There’s a popular song on country radio right now called “Remind Me” and it’s sung by Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood.  I’m not a big country music fan; however, I am inclined to stop & listen to this little ditty because of sweet, adorable Carrie.  You see, I feel like I’ve played a big role in her rise to fame & fortune.  I’m pretty sure my many phoned-in votes helped her seal the victory on American Idol.  Anyway, back to the song.  Its premise is a couple singing about how they were in the beginning of their relationship.  “All those things that you used to do/That made me fall in love with you/Remind me, oh, baby, remind me….” From what I gather, their time spent together nowadays isn’t as eventful as it was back then.  But they’d like it to be, therefore they need some reminding.  My guess is that they’re probably not the only people out there who could use reminding about who they used to be.

I took a walk down memory lane myself back in April.  I attended my 20^th high school reunion.  There’s nothing like walking around all night with a name tag that has your picture on it (from 1991, for crying out loud!) to get you thinking about the girl you were back then.  The first question, obviously, was – who told you that hairdo looked good?  Another was - why didn’t anyone introduce you to eyebrow waxing before graduation?  (You can fill in your own questions from here on out.  If you need topics to help spark your own memory/imagination: Spuds McKenzie, tight-rolled Girbaud jeans, tretorn tennis shoes, Bon Jovi, etc.). 

Sorry, I digress.  My reunion was absolutely incredible.  It exceeded all of my expectations.  It was an entire weekend filled with activities for old classmates to gather together, catch up and reminisce.  I laughed so much and so hard that weekend that my stomach literally hurt on Sunday night.  I told & heard stories about growing up in Mandeville that would easily shock & surprise the teenagers growing up there now (we all have many fond memories of hanging out at the one & only McDonald’s – not choosing between the Taco Bell, Burger King, Sonic or Subway parking lots; and sitting at the end of dead-end roads called “Nowhere” – where now there sits one more subdivision;).  Funny how back then it seemed so small – and that’s exactly what we complained about; and, now, it’s so big & built up – and that’s exactly what we complain about.  Huh. 

Again, I digress.  Driving back to Hattiesburg on Sunday evening, after an enjoyable reunion weekend, I found myself still thinking back to those days & about the girl I was back then.  Thinking about how much I have changed.  And, yet, stayed the same. 

I remember feeling so elated on that last day of high school.  I was going to college!  I could finally make my own decisions!  I was moving out of my parent’s house & was going to be living on my own!  I was going to be able to decide if I wanted to go to class or not (and I still probably need to revisit my decision-making ability on that one!).  Funny thing, though, is that I also remember feeling the biggest, kinda-like-butterflies-but-the-nervous-type of pit in my stomach, too.  I remember looking around at the groups of friends I was hugging & smiling with for pictures and seeing faces I had seen daily since I was a little girl.  These were people I had spent every day with since I started kindergarten.  And suddenly, just like that, they weren’t going to be there, every day, anymore.  That scared me.  And saddened me immensely.  How nostalgic, right?  I know it sounds cheesy & silly, but it’s the absolute truth.  Of course, hindsight is 20/20.  I know now that I didn’t know anything then.  But, on that day in May 1991, I thought I knew it all & that precise moment in time was as good as life was going to get.  And I didn’t want it to end.

I was blessed with many strong, solid friendships growing up.  I believed in them more than I believed in anything else.  Because of them I could do anything.  And for them I would do anything. These were people who knew me before I could write cursive.  These were people who filled me in on the action I was missing the summer between 2^nd & 3^rd grade when I had the chicken pox immediately followed by pneumonia.  (Summer vacation?  I think not.)  These were people who knew me when I got 4 demerits in the 4^th grade and thought I might run away from home before telling my mom.  These were people who knew me when I got braces in the 10^th grade (and kept loving me anyway).  These were people who knew me when I got busted in 11^th grade at the same New Year’s Eve party as my parents (What the hell?  I still don’t know how that happened! It clearly wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I hadn’t been caught carrying/chugging a 6-pack of Miller Genuine Draft and puffing away on a pack of Camel Lights).  As you can tell, we were a bright, hopeful bunch.  We were determined. We were confident.  Seriously, we could have changed the world.  At least that’s what I thought.  And I dared anyone to say or think otherwise! 

So, maybe I have changed.  I’ve got a lot less hair.  My eyebrows are waxed.  My jeans are no longer tight-rolled.  And I don’t think I have any clothing that’s got a dog or beer logo on it.  But, one way I have remained unchanged is how my heart feels when it comes to my comrades, my amigos, my peeps.  I cherish the friendships in my life.  Especially now as an adult when it’s harder to meet people & make the types of connections on which true friendships are based.   If I am a good friend today, there’s no doubt it’s because of the “teachers” I’ve had before now.  Thank you, each & every one of you.

So, whether it’s a country song on the radio or a reunion of old classmates, every now and then it’s nice to get that wake up call, to look at life through a new set of eyes – or maybe an old set – to remember who you were, one day a long time ago, and appreciate the gal you are today.  If for no other reason than to sanctify memory. 

”Women agonize... over cancer; we take as a personal threat the lump in every friend's breast.”  ~Martha Weinman Lear

 

Xoxo,
Kim

PS – Who said we didn’t know a lot when we were young?  Why do we assume wisdom has to come with age?

A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4-8-year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's Love."  Rebecca - age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."  Billy - age 4

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."  Danny - age 7

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."
Nikka - age 6

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."  Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."  Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."  Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."  Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."  Karen - age 7

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."  Jessica - age 8