Friday, February 10, 2012

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

Were you a Girl Scout? If so, then you'll remember the old song that we learned to sing in a "round." One is silver and the other gold. Today I had a golden day, the annual birthday lunch with my college roommate, Cathy Jones. We are Aquarians. Isn't everyone? Since she moved to Bonita Springs from Maryland several years ago, we have made this an annual event. Normally it involves The Grape at Coconut Point and multiple glasses of wine. The joy of golden friends is that no matter how long it's been since you've seen eachother, you take up right where you left off.

It's what they call "season" in Southwest Florida and the place was jammed, unlike our lovely mid-summer meetings when we have the place to ourselves. Therefore, the louder we got the more the folks at other tables turned to look at us and listen in on the conversation. By the time we were ready to go we had been offered high fives from quite a few delightful strangers. They asked us how long we'd known eachother. Hmmm, we met in 1966 and became roommates in 1967. We still talk books. Need I say more?

So we're comparing notes and I told her that yesterday was one of those golden days at the library where I actually had the opportunity to do what I was born to do. Thirty three men and women joined me for the book discussion of Stewart O'Nan's Emily Alone, in my opinion one of the loveliest books ever written about aging and friendship.(previously reviewed here) Not all agreed. And that's good. We like controversy in our book discussions. Of course, I told Cath she had to run out and get it immediately! She told me that I had to read Louise Penney - IN ORDER!

And there you have it. Forty five years and this is why we'll always love each other. I just finished Louise Penney's A Trick of the Light this morning. What a kick! I suspect I'm the most fortunate girl in the world. I'll tell you all about Ms. Penney on Sunday.

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