B = Best Friends

Thinking back, far back.  I didn't have what I would call a best friend until high school.  I had friends through grade school but, I went to parochial school, there were 6-8 girls in my class and we were all friends, I think I'm being honest here?  We separated out though and did do things in groups of two, sometimes 3 but, I really don't remember having just one best friend.  We didn't have the groups or cliques there are now, we were just all together.

It was tough changing over from parochial school to the public school.  I was the first one from our little class to change over.  The public school kids weren't all that welcoming and I was SUPER shy.

When I got into high school, I started hanging around with H - a lot.  Now, I've known her all of my life - in fact I don't remember a time when I didn't know her.  We did go to the same parochial school, in the same grade and she lived only a block down the street from us.  I don't remember how we became inseparable through most of high school but,we did.

Let's see we tried smoking.  We did a little drinking.  Not much though - she was a cheerleader and could get kicked off the squad if she got caught.  We met boys from Muskegon.  We got stood up on dates.  We dated or tried dating dorks from the Catholic school.  (This is kinda hard - I don't want to reveal too much info about her, yet I know if she was reading over my shoulder she'd be saying - remember this?  Oh yeah, I remember that!  Say that part!).  We borrowed a car, drove it to Ludington and got busted on the way back.  Ha!  Remember the creepy cop with the skull ring that pulled us over with those guys from Muskegon they had to come back up here to go to court!?!  She and I have so many memories together.

H and I met a couple of guys late in high school - well she met hers first who was a friend with mine so they fixed us up.  H and I drifted apart like girls do when they meet boys.   She went on to marry hers, and I called off the wedding with mine about a month before it was to take place.  A few months later, she divorced hers.  I moved away and we hadn't spoken in almost 20 years.  Thanks to a little social media, we met for lunch, spent some time together at our 20 year class reunion and well, it's okay.  We're not calling each other to share recipes but, we are in contact once again.

After high school, I began hanging out with L and wow, just wow!, I was around 21 then and I don't remember a lot because well, we drank a lot.  I also knew L in junior high school - actually she was one of the first people I tried to make friends with - it didn't go very well.  I think she hated me at first. She and I met at the beginning of 7th grade but, we didn't have many of the same friends - it's kinda complicated she had her friends, I was the new girl.  I was spoiled.  I was shy.  I'd had the same friends all of my life, I didn't know how to meet new people.  AWKWARD.  She'd had the same friends all of her life and then comes this outsider who wants in sooo badly but, yet all of her friends say 'nooo'. Then came all of the  High School dynamics, I guess you'd call it.  I hung with H and knew the cheerleader/jock crowd, L hung in the art room.  Through it all, we managed to hang on to the corners and pull it together.  Now L - L is the one friend (and we all have that one friend) that I could call in the middle of the night to help me bury a body (figuratively speaking) and she'd be there, no questions asked...well, if she was working that night she would - if I had to wake her up, well never mind, forget it.

And then I moved down here and met M.  We worked together, lived together, I totally fell in with her family - entire family, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, the whole deal.  Slept with her brother. She and I were nearly inseparable for a few years.  But, then I wanted some space.  She made this friend (that I totally can't stand).  She wasn't dating anyone.  I was in between someones (literally), we'd both changed jobs and the commonality just disappeared.  I hadn't spoken to her for about 6 years now maybe, before Jacob was born anyway.  Again, that social media stepped in and we're making progress.  I actually have plans to see her soon.

Now that we've moved to Allegan, I married Jeremy and he's truly my best friend.  He's here for all of my junk.  I'm working on finding some friends that aren't him.  He's got crappy work hours, I can't count on him to get out of work on time.  He's not always thee Best of friends but, I think I've got the best friend thing covered, I just need better people to hang out with when my best friend is never around.

As a grown up, I look back at these friendships and they're great.  I guess I've never been one to have one friend for a long time.  I think I like having a few good friends here and there.  Quality, not quantity right?