Old Friends

Just this week I received an email from an old friend of mine. She and I have been friends since we were in the 6th grade. My friendship with her is the longest lasting friendship I have. Over the years we have been able to pick up right where we left off after about half an hour of catching each other up on recent events. 

It has been a few years since we last communicated. She moved a few times, as did I. We still have the same email addresses, though, and she made contact with me a couple of days ago.

I wrote back, telling her briefly (well, briefly for me) about me and the family. I received an email in response this morning. She relates some interesting things about herself and her husband and kids. Her youngest child is two years older than Light. He is a senior at University of Florida, doing very well, and will be applying to med school soon. Her other two kids are also doing very well. 

This morning I sent off a somewhat more detailed missive telling her more about Twitch, and getting into some specifics about Diva and Sproing and the trouble we've been having with them. 

I have yet to tell her what I've been up to in the past three years or so. She doesn't know what is now the passion of my heart. She hasn't heard about me and The Gay. I ended today's email by telling her that there is more going on, but I will tell her more in the next email since this one was long enough already. 

So I'm going to tell her, of course, about my wonderful discovery of the fabulosity that is the gay community. 

A bit of background: her mother-in-law is a lesbian, I'm pretty sure. My friend and I met her in-laws at the same time, back when we were about 12 years old. The guy who is now her brother-in-law was in our class throughout middle and high school, and we both went to the church where their family was very active. Southern Baptist, naturally. There are five children in that family; the oldest is a girl, the oldest brother was a guy I had a bad crush on all through middle school, the second son married my friend, the third son was in our class, and the youngest son is a year or two younger than our classmate. The other member of the household was a woman, contemporary to their mother, who shared a bedroom with mother. 

There were a lot of people in the house, obviously, and bedroom space was at a premium. Nevertheless. The two women, Shirley (the kids' mother) and Bobbie, shared a large waterbed. Bobbie looked very dykish. Heavy-set, short cropped hair, somewhat masculine features. She wore dresses when I saw her, at church, and always wore a girdle. I find that amusing, but beside the point. The point, though, is that though nothing was ever said, it's pretty obvious that they were lovers. They lived together like spouses, for sure, both of them riding herd on the kids like parents. 

Even in my naive youth, I got a strong lesbian vibe from their oldest daughter. I kinda liked her, too. I didn't know her well, as she was a good bit older than me and was away at college when I was hanging around with the boys. 

Shirley and Bobbie still live together. Last time I visited them (many years ago now) the kids were all out of the house, and they had moved to a small town north of Orlando (where we all used to live). They had separate bedrooms, which kinda surprised me. I have no idea, though, what the sleeping arrangements were. I didn't ask. It was then and still is none of my business. 

My friend and her husband are very active in church. Her husband is now a preacher (he always had leanings in that direction) in addition to being an Emergency Medical Tech. She is active in the music ministry. Their youngest son is planning to be a medical missionary. 

She's on Facebook. (Isn't everyone?) She wants to "friend" me. I looked at my friends list this morning. Except my husband and Birdie, I think everyone else on my freinds list is gay. And come on, y'all, Birdie is an honorary gay.  I find that amusing, myself. Since most of the people who will have anything to do with me these days are gay, it makes ever so much sense. I found her profile, and sent a friend invitation to her. We shall see what we shall see, won't we?

In my next email I will tell her about my passion for the gay community. Pretty much all of my old friends who know of my involvement with The Gay are now former friends. I am not afraid to tell her about The Gay, but I am afraid she will no longer accept me.  Since she and I have been friends for so long, and such good, strong, sister-like friends, will she remain my friend? 

Simon and Garfunkel, natch.