Every Breath You Take

Back when I was in high school Kim and I had one way to find out what everyone was up to -- you drove by their house, over and over, hoping for someone to come outside or walk past a window so you could see if they were home. OK, so it sounds like stalking but it really wasn't, and I don't think we were the only people who were doing it. For years after we would run the same path across town, going by Kari's house and Tressa's house and Jimmy's house and David's house and Gino's house (always, always Gino's house).

Age everyone a dozen years or so...people come and go and move on to the next stop in their lives. None of my friends (or non-friends, or ex-boyfriends) live in those houses anymore. I'm sure no one's parents live in those houses anymore. We've gotten past that now and when I'm home we no longer stalk the citizens of Anaheim. I don't think Kim, who still lives in the same neighborhood, ever gives a second thought to who used to live where. For me, it's the only think I think about....Deaner lives a couple of blocks over there, Jason lived in that cul-de-sac and that's the house (on a very busy street you can't avoid) where someone once asked me to marry him "someday" -- we told our parents and everything -- we were 17. The city is full of memories and when I go home I look around an wonder....

With the evolution of Google, and My Space and all those other networking sites, you no longer need to drive around wondering where everyone went. As my old friend Shelley said (who I haven't actually laid eyes on since 1992), My Space has turned into Loara Space. Eddeane still has the same car, and a half-grown son. Carrie's hair is still curlier than mine (if you can imagine that). A boring afternoon Googling random names turned up both my ex-bf's little brother's impending wedding (complete with picture of ex-bf...and his wife), as well of the wedding site of my college roommate (complete with pics of this girl I now barely recognized). The boy from half a lifetime ago is married and expecting a baby girl of his own.

Friends come and go. Some are meant to always be in your life -- you grow with each other and little disagreements are just that. Others are in your life for just a short while and serve a purpose -- for one night, at a job, for a summer, for just one year. A misunderstanding can end the whole relationship, like a collapsing house of cards. It used to be that was that -- hurt pride and days go by, a friend gets lost for good. Until a few years go by and suddenly they're back. No more wondering.


PS Will someone please post some more wedding pictures? I want to see more!