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Friday, October 9, 2009

Do You Remember Me?


With my job, I pull people's information from a huge data base. I usually am pulling birth and death dates as well as current address'.
Every now and then, I run across someone I once knew. It makes me think about them and other "lost" people of my life.
How are they now?
Who are they now?
What are they now?

I do think of people from my past. I remember so many people that touched my life.
Good and bad.
Do they remember me?
Do they wonder what happened to me?
Does anyone care?

I want to reach out through the years as well as the miles.

I wrote a letter to my High School counselor, thanking him for being kind and for caring for me during the four years I knew him. I haven't sent it. Yet.

I want to know if the childhood friend that climbed trees and caught lightening bugs with me, remembers me. She was my first "girlfriend". She meant the world to me at just 5 years old.

Does my first Crush ever wonder about me? How about the boy that got my first kiss? I was his first kiss too. Does he wonder what ever happened to me?

What about the boy that beat me up everyday after school for two years? What became of him? Does he worry a bully will hurt his children? Or the kids that sat by on the bus and watched me get punched? Did they ever become compassionate?

How about those BFF's in Junior High School? The first boy to ask me to skate at a Skating party during "couples only". Oh My Gosh, what about the recipients from Spin The Bottle? Or my girlfriends from the Slumber parties? We shared so many secrets, so many dreams.

The terrible teacher that ridiculed me and told me she hoped I liked McDonalds, because that is all I would ever amount. What would she think of me and how far I have gone? Partly because of her cruelty.

Whatever happen to the high school teacher that saw something in me and gave me encouragement and praise? Is he retired now? What a Blessing he was and how he challenged me to be more.

My high school classmates. Yes, I am blessed to be close to several still. I have my Besties and buddies. But the other friends. The pair of siblings that walked with me every day to and from summer school. My friends from christian youth groups and my friends from Texas summers, do they ever wonder about me?

The crazy kids I worked my first job with. Phone solicitation. Yeah, you can imagine: 15 years old, scared to death, but having the time of my life begging people to buy tickets to a circus that supported burn victims. My boss weighed about 400 pounds and never got out of his chair. Did he ever lose that weight? Is he still living? He was so scary mean.

My college friends. What happened to my roommates? I would love to find them! How and why did we ever lose touch? I cherish the one college buddy that has remained a Lifer Bestie. She is amazing and I love her. But what about the others we hung and lived with? Where are they today?

My first apartment Roommate. What is she up to? How is she doing? Does she wonder about me?

Co-workers I adored, and even those I loathe. Where are they?

My "Kids" from the Deaf School. All grown up now. Same with my Damar (Special needs) Kids. My kids from Preschool classes, Sunday School classes, Girl Scouts, after school care, confirmation and other friends of my daughters. I can't believe how many we have already lost touch with. All of them are adults now.

Do any of these people ever try to get in touch with me? Do they want to? Would they remember me? Do they care?

I would be so honored to hear from a blast from the past. BUT only if it was positive. I don't need drama nor do I want to hear negative.

I am thinking about trying to reach out to a few. Particularly the old Roommates and a co-worker that I adored. They may think I am nuts. But, I kindof am. They probably remember that part about me!

6 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

Please, send that letter to your school counselor, and start a Facebook account to reach your old friends/coworkers. With today's internet, this reconnecting is easier than ever. Go, Janis, go!

JC said...

That's a great blog ...

I did try to connect with someone I thought was one of my dearest high school friends. She never called me back. I called again. And, she did not call back.

I sometimes think that the memories we have ... at least for me ... should just be that five year old or 16 year olds memories.

I do agree with you though that I would be thrilled to find any of my childhood friends.

I did run into my Junior High friend at the grocery store. She and I had found different groups in 10th grade.

I said hi and she said hi and that was about it. I do wonder if as she was walking out the door .. did she think about all those good times or are they just mine.

I hope you do find some of your friends / co workers ...

That old saying .. nothing ventured nothing gained.

I know I tried with those two old friends and that's what counts.

Now if I found my first friend from first grade .. and she did the same thing ... I'd be disappointed but again maybe it's my memory and not hers.

Let us know how it goes for you ...

Fire Byrd said...

Over here we have Friends Reunited and I've got back in touch with two best friends from those days. And the conversation started were it left off as if there hadn't been 30 years between.
xx

Mark Pressley said...

Brilliant, my favorite read so far of any post from any one.

I have thought a lot about this subject for the last couple of years mainly due to the Howe web site. I followed along with the site for a while and laughed at how similar most everyone’s personalities still are. I had an opportunity to speak with some past friends and love’s but gracefully bowed out. I recently noticed the group has gone silent, I wonder if they are going back to their own daily lives again? Nanc has been running down old friends via a web site just here recently. I wonder if it is our age affecting these thoughts now?

I need to send a thank you to Mr. Coulon he helped shape my life for the better, you should send that letter you have also. As for the others I won’t reach out to them I have seen a few of them over the years and it just felt different to me mainly because of me to many miles now I guess.

Great stuff!

Lori ann said...

Yes, send the letter, Rosarias right. And if you have the time for facebook you can reconnect in an instant!

A human kind of human said...

Hi Jan, just one word for you: Facebook. A while ago I started looking for old (lost) friends on Facebook and the results were stupendous (been wanting to use that word for a while now). It really had a snowball effect and not only did I reconnect with them, this led to them reconnecting to one another and we are at present trying to plan a get together early in the new year in our old hometown. Why not give it a try?