I was leaving the grocery store today and I ran into a neighbor. From when I was a kid in the suburbs of Atlanta.
Weird, huh? Not really. I knew she lived here, I saw her and spoke at the airport a few years ago. She clearly didn't remember that. She has three kids under the age of 10 so, she gets a pass.
She is a few years older than me. Her sister is my age. Almost exactly, in fact. She's four days younger. The woman I ran into, we'll call her Summer, was always kind of aloof. So was her sister (my classmate) Autumn. For a long time, Autumn would say snarky things to me as I got off the bus in middle school. These exaggerated phony goodbyes that made me feel about 3 inches tall. I remember being in a permanent stage of cringe.
By high school, the pond was so big we never saw each other, but in the back of my mind, she remained my arch-nemesis. Then I saw her at my 20th Reunion and she was sweet and charming and hugged me. So, I got over it.
Anyway. Back to today in the store. Summer asked me how my parents were. I told her that Dad had died 2 years ago, but Mom was still living in the neighborhood.
I don't sugarcoat. I say dead rather than deceased. I surely don't say passed, or passed away or passed on. Dead.
Anyway, that happened. And it was weird, but kind of cool. It's a small world.
Tomorrow we are going to the lake with friends. Then I get back on the road.
The more things change, etc.
ae
Weird, huh? Not really. I knew she lived here, I saw her and spoke at the airport a few years ago. She clearly didn't remember that. She has three kids under the age of 10 so, she gets a pass.
She is a few years older than me. Her sister is my age. Almost exactly, in fact. She's four days younger. The woman I ran into, we'll call her Summer, was always kind of aloof. So was her sister (my classmate) Autumn. For a long time, Autumn would say snarky things to me as I got off the bus in middle school. These exaggerated phony goodbyes that made me feel about 3 inches tall. I remember being in a permanent stage of cringe.
By high school, the pond was so big we never saw each other, but in the back of my mind, she remained my arch-nemesis. Then I saw her at my 20th Reunion and she was sweet and charming and hugged me. So, I got over it.
Anyway. Back to today in the store. Summer asked me how my parents were. I told her that Dad had died 2 years ago, but Mom was still living in the neighborhood.
I don't sugarcoat. I say dead rather than deceased. I surely don't say passed, or passed away or passed on. Dead.
Anyway, that happened. And it was weird, but kind of cool. It's a small world.
Tomorrow we are going to the lake with friends. Then I get back on the road.
The more things change, etc.
ae
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