So, my friend Billy G. from Owasso said something provocative on Facebook (of course) the other day. He said “Facebook is a great place to be friends with people who didn’t like you in high school.” Well, I don’t have to tell you that set off a firestorm of comments.
I am going to add my own here, I came to Owasso in the 8th grade, actually the summer before 8th grade. Since I lived in the country I really only got to meet one person in my grade before school started. She has turned out to be my best friend, Tammi; she lived up the hill from me. Literally up the hill.
People in Owasso had been together already since Kindergarten, those cliques are not easy to infiltrate, so we began our own, some, like us, came to Owasso late, others had been there all their lives.
Not everyone gave me a warm welcome; I’m good with that, they already had their friend cards filled with others. Some were downright mean, I’m good with that as well, I can give as well as receive, and I really could then.
I was pretty snobby back then, total defensive mechanism, because the reality of it is I am the least snobby person alive. Well, certain things I am incredibly snobby about, crocs, hate them, judge people who wear them. Especially if you are not a worker that stands on your feet a lot or do not have health issues that require you to wear them. If you wear them to a sedentary job and wear socks with them, you will feel my ridicule. You all can judge me for judging others on that point.
I met a woman yesterday, who after speaking with me for a total of 5 minutes said, “you’re one of those people that make friends wherever you are, aren’t you?” Yes, yes I am, I am friendly by nature, I smile a lot and will talk to anyone.
However, that does not mean I tell my life story, that you will never get out of me, it’s mine, I choose very carefully who I share that with.
But back to Billy’s provocative posting, he was joking, because that is who he is, a jokester, and I love that about him. But the post struck a nerve with some people; it probably dredged up memories of meanness that one does not really get over. They get past it, but not over it, not me, I didn’t care if they were mean to me then and I really don’t care now.
If I had made friends with the really popular people I seriously cannot imagine the trouble I would have gotten into. I found enough trouble on my own, I heard about the parties that the popular people were having and believe you me, I was tame in comparison. My parents would have really disowned me if I had been involved with those!
Owasso was a great place for me, I came into my own there, I found acceptance in a family there, I found lifelong friends. I found my best friend there, who knows all there is to know about me and still loves me.
As for being friends with people who didn’t like me in high school, I’m not, I’m picky about my Facebook friends, I reserve it for people I would want to hang out with in person.
Memory Lane
One of our trainers has approximately 18,000 songs in his library, seriously awesome. Yesterday, during a lull he took requests, several of the songs took me back to my skating days and summers spent in Owasso.
One of the songs brought up a memory I haven’t thought about in a long time. I can’t remember the year, maybe Tammi can.
Her family was going to Arkansas to clean out her grandmothers home, she had passed recently and they were closing out the Arkansas house. Tammi asked if I could go with them and of course my parents said yes.
So off to Sugar Loaf, Arkansas we go, it was the 70’s so of course we took our appropriate 70’s gear with us. Aquanet hair spray, platforms and plenty of blue eye shadow.
Her aunt and cousin came in from California; her cousin Cathy was the quintessential California girl of the 1970’s. Long flowing blond hair and a tan that would make the stars of today envious. There we were, the three of us, 70’s glamour as only teenage girls can interpret it.
We were out walking one day and saw two boys, we started talking to them and being that it was Friday we asked what they did for fun on Friday nights. One of them started to say nothing, the other hit him and said we all go down to the store on main street and hang out.
Great! We’ll be there! So we rush back to the house and get ready, now, if any of you grew up in that era you know exactly what that means. Tammi and I with our perfect Farrah hair; Cathy with her long flowing blond hair, blue, sparkly eye shadow all around, platforms and shorts.
Off we go, to this corner store, that the boys had assured us was the happening place. We walk in, decked out in all our glory, heads turned, boys jaws dropped and big strapping farm girls in overalls stared. The girls grabbed pool sticks and came towards us, the term we hightailed it out of there is appropriate.
We ran for the door and ran all the way back to the house, laughing our heads off. Those people must have thought we were hookers, the looks on their faces said they had never seen anything like us.
We spent the rest of the trip avoiding the corner store.
Snowman Cookie Deprived
Welcome to Wide Awake Wednesday, it is the time for dancing and celebrating, you made it to another middle of the week! Why yes, I have had coffee, so nice of you to ask, and no, it is not too much. It is just enough of the sweet nectar of the gods to provide much needed energy. Let us all recognize that this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. I love that song!
Well I am day three and no sugar, well, no cookies and candy, I am having fruit, so I guess that is natural sugar. So day three with no Starbucks snowman cookie, I am grieving at saying goodbye to my friend the snowman, he and I had a good run. I looked him up on the Weight Watcher points; he alone is 11 points, that is like 2 meals! In one little, harmless looking cookie! That man is pure evil; he is sweet, sugary, amazing evil. I miss him.
As you all might know I have a love/hate relationship with food, I love food, I am not a foodie, I have the dietary tastes of a 10 year old. I love things like puffy Cheetos and snowmen cookies, mini tacos from 7-Eleven, it is really sad. I wish I were one of those food snobs, who like only the best ingredients and makes things from scratch. But no, I like only things that are bad for me, things that create a wondrous party in my mouth. Like the snowman cookie, that first bite, first the hat, the cookie itself melts in your mouth, the icing is just a perfect blend of sugar and cream cheese. When you bite into it and allow the taste to settle into your tongue, it is just perfection.
Contentious, that is my relationship with food; I seriously wish I could eat anything I wanted and never gain an ounce. My BFF, Tammi, is like that, always skinny, always able to eat what she wants, when she wants. I am so jealous! But not in a bad way, in a good way, a way that makes me work hard and stay half way decent looking.
I will be eating on Christmas, no point counting, no looking, just eating, sugar cookies, no bake cookies, honey baked ham, dressing, green bean casserole, the whole nine yards. Oh and don’t forget deviled eggs, love those things!
Time Travel Tammi and Independence Day
I was going to write about what it means to me to be an American today, however, I have been sidetracked by something I heard on the radio this morning. I was listening to my friend Shanon on KHVN and they posed the question, if you could go back in time when would you go. Of course, with today being the 4th of July, I said I would go back to this date in 1776 and witness the birth of our nation. Then I thought about it some more, I would go back to when my parents were alive and I was still at home. 4th of July was so fun with them, the house was full of family, friends and food, the yard was filled with more of the same just add some fireworks. Black Cats, sparklers and bottle rockets filled the air with a sense of fun, danger and camaraderie, all at once.
Of course my best friend Tammi was present, we were always together in those days, if she was not at my house I was at hers. I think mine was a bit more fun though, on the 4th at least, with the bustling activity and all of the people. My parents loved having a full house, filled with laughter and of course giving all glory to God. God always came first in our home, my parents always made sure that we gave thanks for everything. What a great example.
I think those days is the reason I gave up all 4th of July’s with my children after the divorce, their father had a lake house and he filled it with people. The kids always had fun and loved going, it was not a hardship to see their eager looks when the time was nearing. They still spend the day with their dad and on the lake. They were and continue to be true water people; they totally got that from their dad.
Now I work on the 4th of July, I think I do it, well the money is good, but I really do it so I won’t be reminded of how empty the day is for me now. With no family near me, no house full of people, it makes it a little more palatable to be at work.
I hope everyone has a great day, tune into my friend on KHVN 97 AM in Dallas/Fort Worth, she is just fantastic, and the music is incredibly uplifting.
Tammi
Whenever I think of my friend Tammi, this is always our theme song. For those of you who do not know, that while, yes, this is the theme song to Golden Girls, it was a hit song before that. Tammi has always been there for me, she is the person in my life that knows every single thing about me and still loves me. So, Tammi, I love you like a sister, you are my best friend and have been since we were 13 years old. When we are old and gray, you will still be my best friend! So, this one is for you:
Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
your heart is true you’re a pal and a confidant
I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow
And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
If it’s a car you lack
I’d surely buy you a cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night
I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow
And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it’s hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
(From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/andrew-gold-lyrics/thank-you-for-being-a-friend-lyrics.html)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Let me tell you bout a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You’ll hear me call, as we ascend
I’ll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend
(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
Angie World 