Reunion

Last night I met my old buddy Craig and his beautiful, warm, fun fam at Asgard in Cambridge.

This is Craig of high school buddy fame. This is the very same Craig who’d invited me to come visit him in Boston. He’s the immensely patient and gracious sole who said “sure”, when I called and asked “that offer to stay at your crib still open?”

“great, I’ll be there in 12 hours. I’m moving to Boston.”

This wonderfully tolerant, long-suffering friend not only let me crash at his place for a couple of weeks, he introduced me to all his friends.  I’d an instant group of hang pals. Mind, we were worlds apart in temperament and life experience. These were all seriously studious, focused MIT students at the beginning of what would be, for many of them, gloriously fascinating careers and financial comfort. I, on the far other hand, was a hopeful artist and adventurer with no real marketable skills, just finished with college and three seasons with a traveling carnival. I was looking at a  promising career as....as....eh, never-mind.

On top of that, having escaped a violent childhood home, I wasn't exactly a bastion of emotional stability. More ragingly feral, heavy drinking rabbit than human. OK, a CUTE ragingly feral, drunken bunny but still...not so easy to be around.

Even with all those differences and downsides I made friends — a few I’m still tight with today. Cool, eh?

Back to last night though — I hadn’t seen my old amico in over 30 years. Yeah. Wow!

We’ve not really kept in touch. A Christmas card or stray email every now and then — that’s it. This wasn’t on purpose. He’s lived on the West Coast all these years and I've been an East Coast babe. Crazy life and distance — they got in the way.

So there we were. It felt so damn good to see him again — I couldn’t stop hugging him. Craig is every bit as comfortable, funny, charming and lovable as ever. Christ, I’ve missed that man!

He, awesome wife Sara and daughters Katie and Becky were in town to tour MIT. Katie’s reviewing her college options. Selfishly, I hope she chooses MIT. That way I’ll see Craig more AND maybe have the opportunity to host his daughter on occasion too.

OK here’s another thing — my hair envy  is through the roof again. Katie has a neat wedge-like do and Beckie’s got a beautiful mess of thick curls. Craig still has a headful of tight curls which he refuses to Afro-ize.

*sigh*

Next life, if there’s any justice in the universe, I get to have big, thick, bodaciously wild curly hair.

*sigh*