A Walk Down Memory Lane with the Girls
A friend of mine — someone I hadn’t seen in years — was in town. Last night, we all got together at another friend’s house to catch up. I was telling them about my blog, and one of them said,
“Why don’t you write about us when we were younger?”
So here I am — ready to share a few stories from our wild and unforgettable teenage years.
When It All Started
We started talking about how we met, and one friend said she first saw me at the bus stop when I was in seventh grade.
That bus stop was on private property, and we used to sit on a bench there. The woman who lived in the house clearly didn’t want us there — one time, she actually put dead fish around the bench to scare us off.
Didn’t work.
She tried all kinds of things, including hammering nails into the bench. I’ll never forget the time I stood up and one of those nails ripped my corduroy pants almost all the way down! I didn’t have time to run home and change, but thankfully I had on a long t-shirt — so I went to school with a huge tear in my pants.
That One Time Everyone Was Mad at Me
I also remember this one time when the entire neighborhood was mad at me. I can’t even remember exactly what I did, but someone grabbed me, put me on their handlebars, and biked me home while a group of people — including the friend who hosted last night — chased after me.
Apparently, it had to do with this guy we all used to hang out with. He lived in an apartment near the community pool and hot tub. He’d invite the neighborhood kids over, and at some point, I called him out for being a pedophile.
I don’t remember all the details, but I must’ve caused a scene because everyone turned on me — at least for a while.
The Smokey Monte Mobile
I was definitely a crazy teen. I used to drive my friends around in my ‘78 Monte Carlo, which they named the “Smokey Monte Mobile.”
Why? Because we smoked weed and cruised the neighborhood like we owned it.
Oh — and my friend just texted me:
“Don’t forget to mention all the cigarette butts in your ashtray!”
How could I forget?
My Bedroom Shenanigans
Sometimes, my friends would come over after school to smoke in my bedroom — while my mom was napping!
And get this: I didn’t even have a window in my room. Total hotbox situation. My friends thought I was crazy… but I always got away with it. Shoutout to the soda pop bong.
Acid Trips and Laughter
One time, my friend (the one who moved away) and I were in a town we didn’t know well. We were tripping on acid, and she wanted to walk down the street.
I was pleading with her not to — it wasn’t safe — but she just kept breaking out in uncontrollable laughter. Me being scared only made her laugh harder.
That night lives rent-free in my head to this day.
Our Neighborhood Was Special
We really did have something special. Our neighborhood had three ponds, and all the kids would meet up to play football or just hang out. We had such a tight crew.
What’s wild is — we’re still friends to this day.
You don’t find people like that anymore.
Full Circle Moments
One of the best moments last night was hearing how our out-of-town friend made a lifelong friend through me.
Years ago, I got her a job at a restaurant where I worked. She ended up training someone new, and the two of them became best friends. They’re still close after all these years. It was so cool to hear that — how a small connection I made turned into something lasting.
Then and Now
Last night was special. We laughed so hard, caught up on everything, and reminisced about the old days.
It was wild how I felt just like I did back then — like no time had passed. I’ve always adored our friend who moved away, but for years, I felt like my other friend and I were silently competing for her attention.
Last night changed that.
We were all just one.
Three Strong Women
All three of us hit a milestone this year — we turned 50. We talked about what we’re going through as women, what we’ve survived, and how far we’ve come.
Each of us has struggled. Each of us has grown. But we’ve done it all surrounded by each other — and somehow, it all started at a bus stop with dead fish and a bunch of teenagers just trying to figure life out.
