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Sunday, June 26, 2011

People

Last night I awoke to the sound of merriment. I glanced at the clock. It was after 11 p.m. and my daughter and four of her old friends from Hawaii were in the living room capital LOL-ing.


It's weird how some sounds can be so familiar, you know. So vaguely familiar that over time you forget you haven't heard them in a while.


By familiar I mean, familiar--like straight, pure laughter that only people who went to the same elementary school can share. People who understand what's it's like to dance May Day together on the PCC stage and the Christmas program at the Cannon Center. People who know what it's like to run without shoes and to study without textbooks. Who understand the causes and effects of No Child Left Behind and SFA and History Day and PAL basketball and cockroaches and head lice and SPAM and humidity and racial tension and Principal Voorhies.


People who were all lulled to sleep each night by the same ocean, over and over and over again until it became part of the rhythm of their life.


What a treat to be reminded, by the simple sound of laughter, that you have people. People that you once shared a culture and history with!


One of those people was our next door neighbor for 10 years. I know this kid like the back of my hand. I heard every word he ever said. And every word that his mom ever yelled at him. That's how close we were.


Yes, it's Martha's boy!


Yet guess what! I don't really know him at all. I didn't know he could dunk the basketball, or that he likes fish, or that he can do a double French twisted love knot on the tramp



Or that he can spin a ball on one finger while doing the Laie Boyz shaka.



(Okay, these pictures don't show the full extent of his talent, so use your imagination.)


For the record, he isn't really this short. And my boy isn't really this serious.


But yes, my girl really is this beautiful.


Martha, I've got your boy'z back now! Backatcha for all the times you had my kid'z backs.



P.S. Oh and Martha, you'll be proud to know that your boy wasn't able to conquer the Macey's famous Kong Kone.





Unfortunately all of my children were up to the task, with one of them downing it in 10 minutes.


Not something I would ever admit publicly.


Btw, though I wish I could say this is one of my children in shock and awe, it's just a photo I stole off the internet.


SO SUE ME!



10 comments:

Nutty Hamster Chick said...

Ok this is totally off topic but when I first read the title of your post I thought of the line,

"Peeeople, I ain't people. I am a star in the glimmering firmament."

Do you know that line from Singing in the Rain? No, it is just me, huh. Well never mind.

Ok back to the topic of reuniting with old friends. That is so wonderful. How wonderful for your kids to be with old friends, and I suppose if you can't have pasta salad with Martha, well then having it with her kid would be the next best thing.

Mahlo for sharing.

Susan said...

So is your boy the next Jimmer? I see he's got his BYU shirt on and ready.

The Crash Test Dummy said...

Nutty, it's just you. That line doesn't ring a bell, although I've seen Singing the Rain a bazillion times. You're right about reuniting with old friends. So fun! Everyone is here from Hawaii right now. I'm going to be partaying all week long. Tonight my son's best friend's family is coming over for dinner. Woooohoooo! And maybe my kid's third grade teacher and her family too.

Susan, hee hee. I hope so and I hope not. You get me? He was at a BYU camp/tourney and Martha's son came to watch.

TisforTonya said...

man, I was worried I'd been away FAR too long when I saw that kid with the ice cream... surely your boys hadn't grown THAT much right?

Phew... but yeah, I've been gone too long...

Martha said...

I was hoping you took some pics of my Joshie! I'm missing him. He said he had so much fun with you guys. Thanks for getting his back.

Wow Z is getting tall. He's almost up to Josh. And yes, T is a cutie. Maybe we could get her and Josh together!! Oh and Josh can not only do flips on the tramp, he can do a back flip on the ground. But, no he can't eat that much. He never has been able to, which I've always thought was a good thing.

Leslie said...

awwwwwwwwwwww....sweet!!!! It always nice to have friends that their friendship is there regardless of the distance.

Unknown said...

Why take your own when you can steal a perfectly good one off the internet.

I am going to give that Kong cone a whirl asap.

Love the sentiment of a girl laughing with her buddies.

robin said...

OK seriously... I have lived here for 17 years and I have NEVER heard of the Kong Kone. And now it is TOO LATE. In the last 5 months I discovered I am lactose intolerant only every once in a while I FORGET like this past weekend when we went to RC Willey and they were giving out pie and ice cream and I thought "hey! free pie and ice cream!" Three hours later.... AGONY!!! The light didn't go on in my head at first but eventually my brain kicked into gear and I thought "you dork! You're lactose intolerant!"

And now....no Kong Kone for me. ARGHHHHH!!!!!

Cajoh said...

Kind of wish there were more ice cream places about where I live. I miss those places where you could get a malted milk shake, or even a cherry phosphate.

Mariko said...

I could totally down that.
But it probably isn't as good as it looks. :)

She is so beautiful. And getting more so all the time.