Destination Unknown

There’s a New Kid in Town
I moved around a lot as a kid. Being the new kid in a new town and school is never easy or fun. One of the benefits of coming from a large family is that no matter where you go, the rest of your posse is there too. It may not sound so great if you don’t happen to get along with them. I think by default we knew that until we managed to make other friends, we were stuck with each other and may as well make the best of it. I think we did a fine job. Little bits of drama here and there, but overall I would count my sisters and brother and even my father as the best friends I will ever have in this life. The best part of course being that they already know where all my skeletons are buried and they love me anyway.

Wouldn’t it be Good?
With friends, it is naturally going to be a bit different. Since I moved so much, I always seemed to be saying good-bye to someone. I think it could have been very easy to just not bother to make friends at all. My perception of myself in school is being kind of shy at first. Just blending into the background while trying to size up the situation. I learned to read others at an early age. I also learned to put on a brave face and fake my way through all sorts of situations (like all teenagers, I’m sure). I also tried to think of moving as a way to reinvent myself. A clean slate, you know? I don’t think I was ever able to carry that off, but I spent a lot of time thinking about it. (Seriously, how did I NOT become an actress???)

Always Something There to Remind Me
Anyway, back to friends. On the one hand, I consider myself to be a rather sentimental person. I remember birthdays, I remember little details from conversations I’ve had over the course of a lifetime. Everyone I know has a file folder in my head. Maybe this stems back to the idea that by moving so much I always ran the risk of being forgotten by my BFF of the moment. I’ve always thought that perhaps my greatest fear (even greater than bugs and horses) was the idea of being forgotten. Therefore, I made a point out of remembering others. That kind of makes sense, right? That whole “Treat people as you would like to be treated” thing. I also made a point of finding my “Best Friend” as soon as possible after a move. I mean, who knew how long I was going to be there?

Goodbye to You
The other side of this coin is that saying good-bye sure does get easier. Maybe I just make smarter choices when it comes to friends, maybe I’ve been forced to do it so much that it has just become another item on my checklist of things to do before moving. Maybe it’s just part of the growing process and I am making mountains out of molehills. Whatever the case, I made an observation once to someone with a memory that rivals mine. I said something to the effect that I have different friends for different occasions (who doesn’t?), and generally I am juggling only a few at a time. Therefore, there was a “friend rotation” and people moved in and out of that rotation accordingly. My friend (who will NEVER, EVER be out of the rotation, I swear) has never let me forget said comment.

Moribund the Burgermeister
Yeah, so today I just turned you all into my therapists. If you managed to stay with me to the end, thanks. You just got a little more insight into me. Today is Marienne’s birthday. I could have made the entire entry today about her. However, my file folder indicates to me that while she would secretly love it, she would be a little uneasy having the spotlight. (I can sense her squirming right now) So, there you go. I diverted attention to me. (What are BFF's for?)

Oh, and here’s a game for you. Each section heading is a song title. Do you know who sings them? This last one for this section is also for Marienne. I just liked the title.