Who was the best friend of your childhood?

How did you meet? How long were your friends? What did you like to do together? Are you still in contact now?

I had two. 

When I was five my mom and dad had a brand new house built in the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri.  It was a very modest house, three bedrooms, one bath ranch style house with full walk-out basement.  I loved that house and when I found out there was a little 6 year old girl right across the street, I was in heaven.  Janice soon became my best friend.  We played together, we rode bikes together,  we walked to the bus stop together -- we even trick-or-treated together!  The only time we didn't play together was when she was mad at me.  She had a little superior attitude about her because she was a year older than me.  She was the boss.  We played what she wanted to play.  Since I am an only child and was very overprotected and shy, I was glad to have a friend and I always went along with her because it wasn't long before I learned what a temper she had what stamina she had in snubbing those who wronged her. Sometimes I didn't even know what I did or said, but when one of these indiscretions occured, she wouldn't speak to me or even acknowledge that I existed for at least a week.  This always devastated me.  My feelings were hurt beyond belief.  And there was much stress for such a little girl.  Usually my parents would make me go to Janice and apologize even thought I didn't know what I had done to set her off. (I'm sure they couldn't stand to see me so lost and sad).  She would accept my apology and then we were friends again. This went on from the time I was five until I was twelve -- yes that's right seven years!.  When I was twelve and she was thirteen, Janice went to the Junior High School that year and I was still in grade school.  She got a boyfriend and never had anything to do with me again.  Before I started Jr. High, her and her family moved to another town.  I didn't even get to say goodbye.  She didn't consider me a friend any more.  So no  we have not kept in touch and yes, I have a lot of mixed feelings about little Miss Janice.

And do you want to know what is so ironic about that whole situation?  I now work with a woman just like her.  This woman is 50 years old.  We work in a little 2-girl payment center for cable TV.  She has seniority over me and has the same "Janice" attitude.  If I dare to cross her and some of her unreasonable demands, she gets mad and won't speak to me for at least a week.  She also won't pass on information that I need to know.  Geesh!!!

My 2nd best friend was Georgia.  I met Georgia in 7th grade.  We hit it off immediately and have been best friends ever since.  We went to school together in 7th, 8th & 9th grades.  We talked on the phone for hours.  We spent the night with each other often.  We went shopping at the Mall and to the movies (to meet boys, ha!).  We both had other friends and they were often included in our plans, but Georgia and I were BEST friends. 

In the spring of my Freshman year, my dad retired and we moved about 75 miles away to my dad's hometown, but Georgia and I wrote to each other.  I got to go to the city and stay with her a couple of times in the summer.  I went to her high school graduation and to see all of my old classmates graduate and I was maid of honor in her wedding. She married her high school sweetheart and then went to nursing school.  Don, her dh went to college.  After he graduated he took a job in Houston, TX.  We still wrote and sent pictures.  I had Chad, then four years later had Sonya, then she had David and we exchanged lots of baby pictures.  Then Don took a better job in Denver, CO, and they moved there. She had a little girl soon after they moved to Denver.

 I have talked to her on the phone twice.  She called me when my preemie baby died and I called her after her car accident when her little girl was killed.  They were hit by a drunk driver.

We are both grandmothers now and we still write on each others birthdays and at Christmas.  I just love this gal.  She had never been "mad" at me. She is a phemonenal woman!  I'm proud to call her my friend.  Oh btw, we have been friends for 42 years!