I'd Like Y'all to Meet...

Hey, old friend,
Are you okay, old friend?
What do you say, old friend,
Are we or are we unique?
Time goes by
Everything else keeps changing.
You and I
We get continued next week.
~ "Old Friends", Stephen Sondheim

I ran into a old friend this past weekend on my trip to Vegas. It was awesome. She’s fun. Fresh. Confident. Great hair. Happy. Still loves to dance. A bit cheeky. And full of creative energy.

My old friend... is me.

I rediscovered the Bright Young Thing that’s been dormant inside my soul for lo these many years.

The girl who had the world by the tail and whose possibilities were endless.

The girl who might not have known exactly who she was, but would do anything to figure that out.

The girl who walked tall and existed unselfconsciously with a mental self-image that was admirable.

The girl I lost touch with due to time and negativity and circumstance. The girl I could never quite get over. The girl I missed. The girl I loved.

And she sends her love to y’all.

Most friends fade
Or they don't make the grade.
New ones are quickly made
And in a pinch, sure, they'll do.
But us, old friend,
What's to discuss, old friend?
Here's to us — who's like us?
Damn few!

Now, The Bright Young Thing has a knee that’s swollen to the size of a grapefruit and hurts like a son-of-a-bitch from dancing on unsensible shoes. (The Seasoned Mature Chica is going to rest said knee today with ice, heat and elevation... I'd forgotten that The Bright Young Thing will take fun over practicality any day.) Her great hair which thrived in the dry desert air is now back to its usual frizzy, slightly mussy state. Plus she’s still got a couple of dings from a good, kinda painful but much needed healthy dose of outside tough love.

Hey, old friends,
How do we stay old friends?
Who is to say, old friends,
How an old friendship survives?
One day chums
Having a laugh a minute,
One day comes
And they're a part of your lives.

However, I now know where she is. Can contact her at anytime. And I’m not going to lose touch with her ever again if I can help it. Our relationship is an inside job and it's still rather fresh and slightly uncertain in its renewed state. We're still getting reacquainted -- although it's amazing what a non-stop cross country flight can do for such a thing. Y’all may not get a chance to meet personally. But her influence on me will be hopefully be undeniable.

Hello, beautiful old friend.

Oh, how I’ve missed you.

New friends pour
Through the revolving door —
Maybe there's one that's more.
If you find one, that'll do.
But us, old friends,
What's to discuss, old friends?
Here's to us!
Who's like us?