This photo of me, taken at Newport, Oregon (at a great seafood restaurant) is an invite to myself and to my old friends to not be afraid of being older...I guess I'm saying "here I am" I'm older than I was 30 years ago and ??? But of course I am, older that is! So what am I trying to say here?
Let me back up a bit...
A few weeks ago this chain of events begin to unwind. First Charlie from nursing school called. I heard his dear voice and time slipped away. (We graduated in 1977). I asked him if he had heard from Mona, who we both worked with and then miracle of miracles Mona wrote to me. There is no way to describe Mona, except for adoring her. And then Bruce showed up and I just broke down and sobbed. (I am prone to leaky emotions). I thought I had lost track of my oldest friend. And to see his dear face with his partner, well...it made me so happy.
And then suddenly I became:
the plain girl from high school who didn't go to the prom
the Girl Scout geeky camp counselor who fell in love at 18 and got her heart broken,
the newly out insecure lesbian from the late 70's
and the always making stuff girl (art) who couldn't figure out that this was a viable life pathway...
And now I'm 56 and I have made it through a lot of trials and tribulations
(I never really worried much about getting fatter because I always was),
but I have the STUPIDEST thought in my head, "suppose they won't like me because I am older?"
and does this make ANY sense at all?
probably not... but then the reason Mona and Bruce were my dear friends was because even 30 years ago they liked me despite or because of the fact that I was a bit different.
I love you Bruce.
I love you Mona.
What a gift to know you are in the world.
3 comments:
Remember, you were only in the sixth grade when I was a senior. Love, you older gf, G
I love seeing your beautiful face, I have missed you so. 56? just a baby, I'll be 70 in July...awful! Are you talking bout Bruce Wagg? I remember if we were speaking quietly in the nursing station, you would loudly declare "I feel like the fat girl in the 6th grade who didn't get a Valentine." You made such a difference in my and so many people's lives, you could never be forgotten....Mona
Love this post Janice.
I love it. :)
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