A Blast from the Past

Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I don’t text, I don’t tweet, and I don’t spend every waking moment on Facebook. Oh sure, I was just as addicted as my “friends” are when I first signed on 1.5 years ago, but the novelty has definitely worn off. I’m not into web farming. I don’t need to read that Little Billy is now rolling over and pooping up a storm or that the cat is coughing up more than furballs. And call me crazy, but I’d much rather “chat” with someone in person. But lest you think I’m totally dissing social networking, I will admit it has proven to be a godsend in reconnecting with long lost friends. Without it Rob would never have resurfaced.

The year was 1980. My sister Karen was dating Rick, who informed me I should meet his brother because we’d hit it off. So I did and, by golly, we did; Rob and I became fast friends. Think Will and Grace … with polkas! It seems as if dancing was always a part of what we did, whether acting as each other’s “plus one” for weddings and corporate events, painting the town red or, yes, even joining my family for polka night at Adrian’s Ramona Terrace. (You probably had to be there, but it really was a blast!) Rob and I used to dance our fool heads (and feet!) off, and had an absolute riot hanging out together for three years. As much as I’d love to recount all of the sordid details for you, only the guilty are privy to such information.  Some stories are better left untold.  My mother reads this, after all.

Then Rob migrated south. He returned to Grand Rapids in 1986 to attend my wedding, and did my hair and nails for the big event. Why he didn’t tackle those eyebrows of mine I’ll never understand, but I digress. Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw him and shortly thereafter we sadly lost touch.

I ran into his Mom at a parade several years later, who confirmed Rob was still living in Florida when not gadding about the globe with his job for Redken. But with a common surname, he may as well have been “John Smith” in attempting to track down without the advent of modern technology and the internet. We didn’t reconnect until I spotted his smiling face on FB last summer amongst other KHHS alumni.

We vowed to keep in better touch this time around and, when his Christmas card informed me he’d be in my neighborhood in June, we made plans to catch up. Admittedly I approached the meeting with a bit of trepidation. Would we recognize each other? Would we have anything to say? Could we easily pick up where we last left off over two decades ago or had too much time passed? After a hiatus of (can it really be?) nearly 24 years we reunited and I discovered the apprehension was for naught. No dancing was involved, but drinks and great conversation flowed in abundance. We laughed, we pondered and we enjoyed every minute as if we had just seen each other the previous week.  And we still look good, no?

So now we’re a little older and a lot wiser about what’s important in life. A friendship like ours rarely comes along yet is a keeper. We’ll remain close in touch as well as close in heart. It was great to revisit the past and I look forward to making new memories in the future. Rob, so glad to have found you again. Much love and many hugs, my dear friend!