Today's prompt was: Do you have the same friends you did in High School? Describe them.
And I do have the same friends--many of them anyway! One thing you'd find out about me (if I wasn't just a person who lived in your computer :) ) is that I'm fiercely loyal. If I've called you "my friend" at some point, I mean it. If you need me, and sometimes even if you don't, I'm going to be there.
Now I have to tell you about just one of those friends I still have.......Summer.
Summer and I have known eachother since we were 11.
*We were in the same 6th grade class together---both too smart for our own good.
* We sang "That's What Friends Are For" together in the talent show (my first and last public singing performance :) !...).
*We worked the concession stand together at Jr. High basketball games (and once spilled an entire strong box full of coins---hundreds and hundreds of coins!).
* We went to church dances together and rocked out to the B-52's and Debbie Gibson and Richard Marx---and had a crush on EVERY BOY! :) (Jenni--I'm sure your husband was involved!)
*We played the best prank ever on a pizza delivery guy (involving me being tied to a chair with a gag in my mouth....).
* Just before high school, she moved away to southern Utah, and I actually subjected myself to a 17 hour bus ride to go and visit her!
*She graduated high school early and tested out of her first year or two of college, then went and got herself engaged to some blonde hottie :). I flew in from college to be her maid of honor, and subjected myself to a teal green dress... with matching shoes.
*We both lost our moms to cancer in the same kind of 6 week "diagnosis to death" time frame just a few years apart. What a rock and inspiration she was at that time!
*Some years we've talked almost daily, and other years not at all---but it never seems to matter, because whenever we do catch up again-- it's like nothing has ever changed.
That's the scope of our lives together thus far, but let me back up.
-----To 14.-----
In Idaho, when you were 14--you could drive. A car! Our junior high school actually had a STUDENT PARKING LOT!!! Something about granting a kid that privilege and freedom so early really "grew us up fast". (see this post to know why it made us even think we could hit on our English teacher!)
So there were Summer and I with our cars and our concession stand jobs and our too cool for school attitudes, and we thought the next logical step would be for us to move into our own apartment. Naturally.
And. our. parents. agreed.
Two 14 year olds sharing an apartment!!! Albeit a mother-in-law-style apartment off the back of Summer's house---but STILL, it had it's own entry door and it's own kitchen and it's own laundry room, bedroom, living room, and bathroom. It was all ours!
We moved in right away with our card table and our air mattress and our assorted curling irons and clothes. We didn't have a TV...... but that was ok because we DID have a Casio Keyboard, a telephone, and lots of boys to call. For a month we lived on soup and cold cereal and did our own laundry. We had lots of 14 year old boys come to visit--- who did things like fart into the recording device on the Casio Keyboard, and then play songs using the sound of their own flatulence. --It got old reeeeeeeeeally fast.-- I remember going home more and more frequently to "get more clothes"....... and then just kind of sticking around......all night......in my own bed.......which was not an air mattress. Not that I didn't love living with Summer, but I hated learning first hand that maybe I wasn't as independent as I thought I was. That I needed my mom. And food that was not soup or cereal.
~Did I mention that our parents were genius?~
***I hope he reads every word.***
Karma, my former partner in crime, it's called......karma.
:)
46 comments:
Mr. Linky is up!! Go go go!! :)
And oh my gosh I can't believe the things you were allowed to do. I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping my kids locked in their rooms till their mid thirties. :) Nice lesson though. I totally have a Summer too! Aren't they the best!?! :)
Why is it that boys are SO amused by the sounds/styles/lengths of their own farts?? WHY??
Hate me, but I was reading too fast and thought that you and Summer were farting into the keyboard and was dying laughing that you admitted it and actually said 'fart'! That's so cool your parents let you do that. I wish mine would have--I would havelarned a thing or two. And I was way too nerdy--we would have had no boys at all. And would have done our own fart effects.
Holy Moly, Woman! 14 and you were driving, working and living with your best friend?! That's crazy! :) It's nice that you are still buddies!
OMG... the things you were allowed to do!!!
I would have LOVED IT! i BEGGED for my parents to send me to boarding school in Europe.
nope.
Wow. I can't believe you moved out at 14!! And driving!!
I've come to let you know of a band I think you might like, I pretty sure you will but of course can't be incredibly sure.
You may have heard of them too and some of their stuff, but you should listen to some Paramore :). See if you like them.
Oh and, you sound like a great friends! One can be sseparated from their best friend for years and NOTHING changes at all! Thats what it's like when I visit my friends back in my previous city of residence.
Now you're the kind of friend I could have used in high school! (the fiercely loyal part, not the moving out at 14 part...I was wearing Holly Hobby clothes at 14....sheesh)
wow, that was SO fun to read. loved it!! my mouth hung open about the prank on the pizza delivery guy (awful!!-ha) and you are right, your parents were genius. however, i look at my 13 year old girl and cannot even imagine. yikes.
isn't it great to still have friends that you share that kind of history with? thanks for sharing that with us.
~sheryl
Fun read. I had my own friend named Summer I've known since 6th grade. But we definitely did not get an apartment at 14. Farting into the Casio recorder...so priceless.
That's awesome that your parents let you girls do that - they were indeed wise ;)
Visiting from MamaKat's writing workshop links Love love love this post! You should write a book based on your adventures! I'm adding you to my blogroll for sure! And it must be true friendship...I wouldn't ride on a bus for 17 hours for anybody!
Very much enjoyed this! I'll be back to check out more of your stuff!
Great post! I wish I had a mother-in-law apartment, I would put my two girls in it (17 & 16). They are both so sure that they are ready to do it on their own and that they could do do everything so much better then me.
Great post! I wish I had a mother-in-law apartment, I would put my two girls in it (17 & 16). They are both so sure that they are ready to do it on their own and that they could do do everything so much better then me.
I love that story about your apartment. That is awesome! What a great friend Summer is. And that other picture, is that her too?
this is great! i love thinking back to the time of our bestestest friends...that's what we called it when we were 14. ;-)
What a funny, excellent post. And you're right... Your parents were geniuses!! Obviously, you turned out okay, despite the farting boys and early roadtrips. Fabulous story.
Hey you I ended up back here and so I thought I would tell you I am huge B-52's fan! Love your music choices. On another note did you finish your 198 project?
Too funny!!! A little freedom produces a little more dependence! It is scary out there...
I have a friend from college that I am still very close with. She is just a sweetie. We talk for hours on the phone since she lives 2 hours away.
Lisa Q
I think if my babies want to move out when they are 14, I will cry. But it was a smart idea on your parents part.
that was fabulous. sinly fabulous. i'm so glad that your parents were wise enough to let the two of you think that you were independant and then let you realize that you weren't so much. :) --and that they had a place that would allow you to realize it!
that was great!
I love this story! I should go write about my friends. I miss them.
What a great friend and what a great lesson in life. I moved out after high school at 17 and lived on Roman Noodles. It was awful and I can't believe you did it at 14. You two are some strong women!
What wonderful memories you brought back. We had more fun than should have been allowed at that age. You captured our youth exactly as I remember it! You did leave out the old boat of a car we drove and how we rolled down the windows and sunk low into our seats and blared the only AM station our car would get! We were sooooooo much fun. I am so glad to be the "Simon" to your "Alvin" anyday. (I guess that is a post for another day.)
Isn't it funny that we both ended up homeschooling our children for a while :)
Jennifer, This is one of the most interesting stories I have laid eyes on. Wo, I cannot imagine 14 yr. olds driving around OR living in an apartment by themselves. It's really funny! The thought of it all I would have loved doing all of that at 14, but I would've wanted my mommy as well.
Summer--
Who was the farter anyway? I want to say it was Aaron B., but I seem to remember Micah and Rocky over at some point doing that too! We were just too mature for them. We should have went and found ourselves some college men :)! HA!
Your parents were verrrrrrrrrrrry clever!
That is totally wack that you got to drive at 14 and "live" on your own with your BFF. That's totally the age where kids think their parents are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO wrong about everything.
I think it was at about 20 that I realized that my parents weren't so dumb after all.
If only they'd let me live on my own at 14 I might have learned sooner.
(*sigh)
I remember being 14. I think my mom would've had a heart attack just thinking about letting me drive. Let alone "move out". Wow. It's neat that your folks could give you that freedom to learn for yourself.
It's so wonderful to have friends who "knew you when" to keep making memories with.
Jen,
I think the biggest culprits were Aaron B. Mitchell C. (once), Rocky and cute sweet little Micah! My girls have now read this and are looking at me with a bit of a weird expression. I guess I am no longer the "perfect" girl they thought I was :)
What a great post! I, too am a very loyal friend. There are about 12 of us from High School (maybe even junior high) that get together about twice a year at least. I have one friend in particular...we've literally known each other since birth. Lived next door to each other for about 10 yrs. Oh, I love that girl like my sister :) Sometimes we talk every day...other times...it may be a month..but it's like a soap opera...we just pick right up like it was yesterday. So thankful for friends like he....and YOU!
I love those partners in crime, they are truly priceless!
What smart parents you two had! That would have been so cool, but at 14 I would have gotten into WAY too much trouble with that much freedom! Loved this post!
Your parents rocked. What a way to teach a lesson!
WOW,
Karma is a great teacher, as are some savvy parents! LOL
that was fun! Oh yes, and driving at 14! Is that nuts or what?
And yes, your parents were brilliant!
I sounds like you should've had a video clip to post about that brief mention of an awesome prank. I would definetly enjoy watching some pizza delivery boy discover that. HA!
Oh and speaking of karma, I totally know we're getting what was coming to us for all the rotten things we put our parents through... and Quincy's only 16 months! I can't wait til he's a teenager! Yikes!!!
Good for you for getting back to writing. It is so hard to get back into the groove when you've been gone for a while.
DrIvInG?! At 14?! (blink, blink) Nope, read that right. As Ross says on Friends, "I think the word you're looking for is 'Anyway...'"
The story about living on your own reminds me of something the parents on The Cosby Show would do to their children. Indeed brilliant!
That reminds me of a Cosby episode where they had the son (can't remember his name) had to pay for his room, Theo his name was Theo,anyway he had to get a job and pay for things and they took it all out of his room. I loved that one, I guess that is what your parents did, and they WERE smart!!!! Idaho and driving at 14, okay that was alright when it was all rural but it is a busy metropolis now. SCARY!!!!!
OMG and I thought I was "independent"! I am SO not ready for my little ones to become a teenager or anything like me as a teenager!:-) Thank goodness I still have a few years to PRAY more about it to God who is going to have to CARRY me thru those years!! :-)
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Post !!
MADE ME LAUGH (and CRY ~ from laughing so hard!)
Haha. I love this post.
Wow! I was sitting here reading with my jaw on the floor. Driving? And living with your friend? I wonder if your parents had a plan when they let you live with your best friends. Did they know how it would turn out? I don't know if I'd have the guts as a mother.
What a fun story!
That's a great story! I too wore a teal bridesmaid's dress. Did yours have a big teal butt bow too?
I loved every word of this! I cannot believe you could drive at 14...kids can barely ride bikes at 14, well not really, but you get the idea..and living on your own... now that was genius parenting.
No wonder travelling to Germany and France were no big deal for you at your age. You were already living on your own at 14. for. a . month.or.so...
lol...
Still...how cool is that, to learn that you needed mommy, or that it was at least so nice to have one, at such an early age?
I also sang "That's What Friends Are For" with another girl I wrangled for our Jr. High Graduation. I didn't stop singing though....love it...love to harmonize.
I love my loyal friends. I round up just a few....but once you're in, you're in for life. I love my high school...college....and married life friends. I keep 'em foreva!
You still feel so out of my league. You're Jr. High friend graduated early and tested out of her first years of college. Lula has already asked for your hand in marriage....twice. Who can compete with that?
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