This week’s topic is relationships, and honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. My life is pretty much ruled by relationships, my books are about relationships, and all of my memories, trailing back as far as I can remember are framed by relationships—being more about who I was with, than where I was or what we were actually doing.
I used to assume it was this way for everyone, until a few years ago when I caught up with an old high school acquaintance. As I sat across from her, reminiscing about one wild time after another, I started to squirm when I noticed how she wasn’t exactly joining in. And just as I wondered if I’d somehow imagined it all, or confused her with someone else, she confided that her memories were organized by the events themselves, that the people she’d been with at the time were merely incidental.
For me it’s the opposite. There was the friend who taught me to ride a horse, the one who shared my love of fashion and Adam Ant (um, it was the 80’s what can I say?), the one I went to concerts with, the one I went to art galleries with, the one I hung in LA with, the one I traveled all over Europe with, the one who taught me to drive a stick shift, the one who’s responsible for me meeting my husband—and even though a few of those old friends are MIA, I’m happy to say that through the grace of e-mail, myspace, and classmates.com, I’ve managed to stay in touch with most all of them, and every time we get together, it’s as though nothing has changed. Because even though our lives may have gone in (drastically!) different directions, the memories that bond us together remain, shaping us in ways I never could’ve imagined at the time.
What about you—are your memories based more on events, or relationships?
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5 comments:
Totally relate. My high school memories center on my two best friends. One I had a really deep friendship with and I remember all these long talks and deep conversations all night long about life. The other was my "partner in crime." When we lost touch (both of us moved too many times), I was devastated and kept trying to find her. Then . . . I became an author, she spotted my book in Target, foudn my website, and we picked up where we left off, as if no time had passed. I just treasure her.
E
I have a terrible memory. But, that aside, I think my memories are a bit of both.
Hey Erica-
What a great story! I treasure my old friends too, and find it so amazing how you can just pick up where you left off!
Alyson
Hey Sara-
Writing for teens has uncovered all kinds of memories I thought I'd successfully buried. . .
Alyson
Alyson, I know just what you mean. That's happened to me too!
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