The Good Old Days...

So I went for coffee with one of my friends from high school tonight, and it got me thinking. Why didn't I stay in touch with people from high school? Mostly I'm ok with that, we went our separate ways, but there are a few that I really wish I would have kept in touch with. Is it too late? It was great to reconnect with this person, and I really hope that this isn't the last time.

And then, I started talking to one of the best friends I made while in college. And I realized that I really miss him, and many others. I don't like this. I don't like living away from everyone, not seeing them. Catching up on AIM and over e-mail, with the occasional phone call. I want the old days back, I want movie nights, dinner, meijer, piano bars, powell's pub, thirsty Thursday. I want all of it. I want to call friends and have them over that night, in our pajamas, popcorn. I'm sad that it's gone. I'm sad that everything has changed. Real life took over, and I don't like it. Yes, I'm whining. I want my friends. While I like my parents, and my gym, and love my boyfriend, I want my friends back. I want us all to live within 3 miles of each other. I want to wake up every day and know, today I will bump into at least 3 people that aren't blood relatives that I know I trust, and can count on. They were my anchors, and now I feel like I'm floating.

And yet, something in me says, get over it. It's gone, it will never be the same. Is this true? Or, just it take more effort to keep it up now that we're not geographically close? For some of us, yes a few phone calls and some plans and we'll be together. For others, I'm afraid the answer is no. Things just won't be the same, no matter the effort. And this makes me the saddest of all. We, this extraordinary group of people that I 'grew up' with, will probably never be the same. Things between some of us have gotten awkward, others have just grown apart.

All right, enough for now. Maybe I should make my first new year's resolution ever. This year I will try to be a better friend, not taking people and our time together for granted. Or will the resolution part doom the whole thing? I know that I don't want my friends from EMU to go the way of the ones from high school. We were way too close for that. I guess I'll hope for the best and go for it, and hope my first resolution ever works out for me.

P.S. The strangest thought just occurred to me. I don't have this sadness about my drum corps friends from other states. Is this because it was the terms of our friendship to be together every day, and then the phone calls, e-mails and occasional visits would have to do while we waited to have our time in the summer again? Did all of the speeches about cherishing every day with the corps cause you never knew when it would end really sink in? Maybe, but I guess time will have to tell.

So what does it take to stop someone from being re-elected in Detroit? Apparantly, a giant party paid for by the city, a dead stripper, 2 brand new Ford Expiditions, exotic trips, and $144,000 in petty cash spent aren't quite enough to stop people from voting for someone. Oh, and let's not forget the whole campagin being based on making fun of your other candidate, and not on what you're going to do better next time!

I don't get it. He's slimy!! Forgive his mistakes?? It seems to me that's all he's got to his name!

But I'll try to be optomistic, he might have gotten more young people involved in the political process, which I'm all for, but come on, 4 more yeras of Kwame??!!??

It finally happened. I was waiting for it and it happened today. A teacher told me that she keeps thinking that I'm one of the kids. Well, at least that's out of the way. You know the whole other teachers thinking you're an 8th grader thing.....

So, I've seen the black mold that resides in the school, and it's gross. Oh, and it's right next to the air duct system that feeds my room. Maybe this explains the spike in allergies?? (or it could just be that it's fall)

Just ate lunch in the teachers lounge - now I know for sure why I prefer my room... I feel like a kid at the adults table, especially in this school where I am much closer to most of the kids ages than any of the teachers. Don't get me wrong, their nice, they're just older than my parents...

Detroit, what a place. Mayoral race is taking place and the candidates are:

Kilpatrick - incumbent mayor who's managed to piss off everyone. His time in office has been marred by lay-offs and spending money on cars that the city has no right to own. Oh, and then there's the fact that there may have been some big party at his mansion that involved strippers, and then the strippers going to the hospital for something. And last but not least, his name is attached to what might have been a hit on one of the strippers. Great guy, really...

Hendrix - Former deputy mayor who's son was just arrested for domestic abuse. But that's all that he's got against him. Something is telling me he wins in my book. No dead strippers to his name...


And on another topic:

The class that I'm long term subbing for says the pledge of allegiance every morning. That's their routine, and i kind of feel like changing it, but I'm not sure what other implications that might have (and besides there's an aide in the who really loves the tradition and I think would pitch a fit if I let it die). So, this morning we rise to say the pledge and one girl asks, "If I don't agree with this country and would like to move out of it, do I have to say the pledge?" I was taken a bit aback by this, but in the end, had to tell the girl that it was her right to sit during the pledge since she is a US Citizen. Sounds stupid, but on the fly I couldn't think of any reason why I had to make her stand other than I wanted her to. I mean, free speech gives you the right not to say the pledge I guess. I think I'm going to research this a little. Maybe we can have a little class project about this.

So I was watching TV and there was a commercial for the movie Prime. It's about a woman that goes to a shrink and tells the shrink all about her sex life with her new boyfriend. Turns out that the shrink is the new boyfriend's mom. Now at first I'm thinking, this looks like it could be a movie I want to go see. Then I took a step back and thought, do I really want to watch that for two hours?? Where else is this story going to go?? Anyway, just thought I'd share, and if anyone goes to see this, let me know if it's actually any good...