When I graduated High School I couldn't get away from my hometown fast enough so I left it all behind in 1993 with the exception of Randy who was waiting for me when I arrived to my new town of Springfield, Missouri. I was excited to get a fresh start where I could make my own decisions. Some bad, some very bad and some good. It was what every teenager needs - the ability to make mistakes and pick themselves back up.
Years passed and I lost track of many of my BFF's but somehow we have made it back to each other. There is something about childhood friends that have a different place at the table, if you know what I mean. For the past three years we have made an effort at seeing each other during the holidays.
This past weekend we went to our hometown to celebrate Christmas with Randy's side of the family tree and seeing my childhood BFF's was a bonus. On the drive over to Southeast Missouri we stopped short in Springfield for the night and drove around town to our old hangouts to show the boys who could not have been less interested if we had given them a sleeping pill. We LOVE Springfield and said for years we'd move back some day from the moment we arrived in Arkansas in 1998. It was our way to cope with being in Arkansas. Over the years we grew to like this area and accepted that it was our home. The place we earn regular paychecks. The place our babies were born. The place our baby was laid to rest. The place our friends live. The place my parents and two of my sisters reside. When we weren't looking we built a life here.
But something happened Friday night. Maybe it was the magic of the season. Maybe it was the reminiscing. Maybe it is my need to pack up and start fresh somewhere new again. Maybe it was all the glory that Springfield is. Maybe it was the International Wine Center. As we drove downtown I could barely contain myself at the possibilities for photography and I exclaimed right then and there - WE COULD MOVE HERE AND I CAN BE A TRENDY PHOTOGRAPHER DOWNTOWN. As we drove further away I saw my dream slipping way....college students can't afford to get professional photos taken...there is no talent agency in town that I know of...it would take years to build business...and the Christmas lights in the distance were just that. "Anyway," Randy said, "we are too old to be thinking we could blend downtown." I reminded him of the hip old people on Dickson Street in Fayetteville but he said, "This isn't Dickson babe." I hesitantly added that we could be old and hip but just saying the word hip proved me wrong.
So on Saturday, bright and early, we departed Springfield and headed to the bootheel.
We had a great visit with friends and family. I took a ton of pictures but I haven't had the chance to get them ready to post so hopefully tomorrow night I can tackle that. For now, I will leave you with a photo of me with three of my beautiful, successful childhood BFF's.
Kari, Me, Shawna, Kim
We exchanged ornaments and look at this adorable ornament I made it home with. It has all the names of the girls in our clique!
