There was no shortage of fun, adult parties in the Forest Glen, and Rochelle (left), Kelley (right) and I always made the most of them. Having too much responsibility in our lives and too much alcohol at our disposal was a recipe for female bonding (see how close Kelley is coming to my cheek?). At what other time could we be footloose and fancy-free! In a few hours, reality would strike again (kids, work, house, husband - notice order of importance, unfortunately) and we wouldn't be "free" to be ourselves anymore. So we'd make the most of it.
Why I loved hanging out with Rochelle and Kelley is because these are two powerful women, although they'd never care to admit it. Rochelle was a Carnegie Scholar (the equivalent of Yoda in the teaching world) and had way more awards, grants, papers, and presentations than I could ever muster. Ironically though, her strength comes from her vulnerability. She's one of the most sensitive people I know, and her sensitivity is what makes her a great friend and a great teacher. She cares about her students and actually listens to what they're saying, something teachers are supposed to do but don't usually get around to doing. And when you talk to her as a friend, she doesn't miss a beat. And did I mention emotional, another trait we share in common? It's a good thing we don't watch drama together -there'd be nothing left of us at the end!
Now switch gears 180 degrees, and there's Kelley - the Queen of Sarcasm! Her dry humour and witty remarks are enough to tame any dragon. I don't know where she gets it, but I'll take every dose I can get! Working as a parole officer for sex offenders may have something to do with it, although her personality and life history most definitely have had an effect as well. At any rate, the reason I miss Kelley is because she's one of the funniest people I know. Kelley would have us all rolling on the floor, with the biggest belley ache from laughing so hard. She's at her finest after a bottle of chardonnay and a bowl of microwave popcorn. After growing up my whole life with boyfriends, I'm glad to have girlfriends at last!
6 comments:
Well... you just about made me cry! Thanks so much for the very nice things you said. I was thinking today how ironic that another walking partner left... I seem to have a knack for driving them away. This time, I'm running with Tom's graduate student, Erin, who is following us to Rochester. That's the way to do it!
It's a go for April. When I mentioned it to Tom (something I hadn't done before), he said "Of course we are going. You can't miss seeing Courtenay!"
So, we are on our way!
I'll book hotel tonight.
So great to talk today. I miss you terribly!
Love,
Rochelle
Thanks for telling me about your blog. I loved reading all your postings. This will be agreat way for me to keep up with all you have going on. I recently attended a conference in San Francisco and am soon off to another one in Atlanta. Glad to hear you're enjoying a slower paced life these days.
Lashale
Lashale - I can't tell you how exciting it is to watch your career develop. When we met, you were like a baby, and now you're all grown up and out to change the world!
The comment that was deleted was my own. I didn't like the wording. Didn't want anyone to worry about censorship!
Rochelle - I'm so glad to hear a positive outcome with your running partner. Maybe you're setting a new trend for Rochester! Yes, the tears were flowing here too, along with the wine ...
Post a Comment