Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot…
It’s New Year’s Eve, the day of closing chapters and fresh new beginnings, the day of regrets from the closing year and bright new hopes for the one yet to come. For me it’s a day to take stock of the worst of myself, to find the things I must improve. That’s another post, though, for another year perhaps; as the song goes, it’s a time to remember old friends, especially the ones we haven’t seen for a while and hope we’ll meet again.
I’m listing a few today; to each of these people, it’s been at least a year since we’ve spoken; to each of these people, I’d like to speak with you again.
This post is one part message-in-a bottle, one part game. I’m listing four names here, four people I haven’t been able to reach in at least a year. I invite you to add as few or as many of your own memories to the list as you’d like. If I’m very lucky, some people may reconnect here.
If any of you are reading, You Are Not Forgotten. If any of you are reading, I’d like to speak with you again.
Alisha Found!: Five and a half years ago I was in high school (Class of 2002) and Alisha was a casual friend, an artsy girl from the Pacific Northwest who baffled me and always had interesting stories to tell. She helped me with some of my first steps out of the awkward, science-and-numbers shell I had as a kid, but when we graduated I lost touch with her. The phone number she wrote in my yearbook serves as a fax line to a real-estate company now. Probably she wouldn’t recognize me today (from that far back I don’t think I would recognize myself), but I think she would approve. She’s made it very difficult for the high school to find her. I knew there was a reason I liked her.
Melody: Melody was a student at the California Culinary Academy when I met her, back in September 2003. She wore a fairy shirt and a hemp necklace, and she carried a case of cooking knives beside her. I don’t remember how we started talking, but I do remember her as a very intelligent, very well-adjusted girl, one of the most pleasantly memorable people I’ve ever met on the BART and probably my happiest memory connected to the Folsom Street Fair (where I was headed when I met her). She’s doing well for herself, I’m sure, but once or twice a year I wonder how exactly her story goes.
“Banwynn Oakshadow”: I’m not sure actually if the link goes to the right person. The Banwynn I spoke to was a writer when I spoke to him last; we talked for hours on the phone and planned to meet at cafe sometime in Berkeley, but life intervened and he moved away. It’s been years, though, and hobbies fade away sometimes.
RienCat – Erin’s a generally wonderful but highly unforgiving person, simultaneously savage and refined, cold-hearted and as comforting as a warm blanket on a cold day. She generally despises the political left, but we seem to get along just fine. It’s really hard to explain how she makes all these things balance and work out as well as she does, but the effect is staggering. I have a love-hate relationship with talking to her about my writing, mostly because half the time I talk to her, I wind up throwing out huge chunks of text and writing them anew. The problem is, like most frustrating things about her, it’s worth it. I miss her a little more every time I think about her.
Vincent Valentine, from YaoiCon, because I have gone on an adventure and found her a chocobo to replace the one she lost. Also I have found her some small other gifts, but mostly I have found her a chocobo.
Mithra Girl, from Fanime, because she is brave and confident and quite pretty. Adventures with Mithra Girl are wonderful and I am quite sure that she has good stories to tell by now.
I have a few people who I sometimes think of, whom I don’t necessarily want to reconnect with, but wish I knew how they were.
Jerry Harrington – my first crush. What can I say? I’m no longer pining, but I always had two lingering questions. Was he gay, and was he interested? I wish I’d know him well enough to keep in touch. 15 years is a long time, but how do you forget the first person you ever wanted to fall in love with, who ou wanted nothing more than to have them acknlowdge you?
James Tyes – a dear friend. James was the brother of my first boyfriend. He moved in with us during the last four months of our reltionsgip. I fell for him in a sweet mis-guideed way. He and I avoided acting on our feelings, so as to avoid hurting his brother. He left me with an idea that ours would’ve been an impassioned and tumultous relationship, as neither of us were stable. Thankfully I avoided falling into this beautiful disaster, or I wouldn’t have been single when Marcus came into my life. Still I am concerned. I have his Mom’s number and the last time she’d heard from him he was unemployed and living on the streets in Florida. I’d love to know he’s okay. He had the worst life, and didn’t smile much. But when he did smile, he had the most beautiful, inmnocent smile that washed away so much. I found a blog that discussed a guy with the same name in his area who had died recently, but I couldn’t cofirm it was him and the owner of the blog never replied to my repeated inquiries. Still I would love to know that he’s okay…
Rachel – friend. Rachel had mental issues. Was dianosed with MPD/DID. During the course of her therapy, her therapist convinced this poor young woman she had sufferred frorm ritualistic abuse. This created a paranoia that affected many of her relationships. Rachel and her therapist became convinced many of her friends were still active parts of the cult, and that I was trying to trigger her to return home for re-programming. I pray she is alright, somewhere out there, and that Rachel healed and found the peace she need.