Old Habits Die Hard

So, I leaped into the 21st century 2 weeks ago (which is new and exciting for me, since I usually leap in the Century 21 department store) and joined Facebook. I have this gang of girlfriends who all goofed around on myspace so I made a page and then they all jumped to Facebook. Look, I'm a single mom who works full-time, how many of these social networking sites do I need? Apparently, just one more.

So I set up a Facebook page and OMG!! I'm reconnecting with people I went to summer camp, to junior high school with, people I worked with. It's truly amazing.

I chatted with the boy I sat next to in 7th grade homeroom, sent emails to my summer sister, and saw pictures of grown-ups who look an awful lot like the kids of my childhood.

I even reconnected with my first best friend; M and I met the first day of first grade and remained friends for 20 or so years. We dried one another's tears, helped heal broken hearts, discovered the joys of make-up and hair mousse, ate french fries AND onion rings from Roll N'Roaster and laughed our asses off so many times I don't think they can be counted using modern technology.

So we decided to get together with coffee and M invited a few others. G, who I was always friends with too, S, who I met through M and who actually was in my bridal party and J, who is an old boyfriend of mine...and an old boyfriend of M too.

S & J couldn't make it, but G and I went to M's and assumed the position....we gathered around the kitchen table, cups filled with hot caffeinated nectar mixed to our own specifications, and started talking...and talking...and talking. I swear, the last 10 years melted away. M is married with 2 kids and G is in a long-term relationship. We talked about men (ok, boys), finances, friendships, freaks we no longer hang out, my divorce, G's hesitation re: her relationship...and about 84,000 other things too.

Then the doorbell rang. M was babysitting for 4 kids and we just guessed it was one set of parents or the other. But lo and behold, in walks Jason! I haven't seen him in about 10 or 12 years. We went out for about 6 months in '94 and when we broke up, we actually remained friendly.

So, when Jason walks into a room, the party gets kicked up a notch. Within 5 minutes, I was laughing so hard I was honking, I couldn't catch my breath and yet another whole slew of memories were emerging (does anyone know exactly how many are in a slew? I need to know when one slew is complete so another one can get started). He's married and said that his wife would love me. She's got to be made of pretty strong stock to be married to Jason so I think I'll love her too.

M's husband kinda moved in and out of the room, sometimes listening, sometimes not, just kind of absorbing all that was being said.

It's not the the significant others don't matter, they absolutely do. But we were a group before there were significantly significant others. We had a friendship in place for years and years. M and G saw me through a whole mess of crap I'd rather forget. J knows some of my secrets too. I know I'm safe with this gang. I can be myself and not be judged.

I get all this and people who know how I take my coffee...man, I'm one lucky girl, dontcha think?