I Love My Friends

As many of you know, I was born a poor black child.  Growing up I lived in a small, two bedroom home, with loving parents who taught me to treat others like I would want them to treat me.  For most of my life I have attempted to live by that standard.  There have been a few times when I have deviated from this mantra and I am somewhat sad to say that this will be another one of those times.

Throughout my scholastic experience, I got along with just about everyone, except for maybe my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Kuykendall, and perhaps Mackey Spiker who was a big nose Jew who, at age six, terrorized everyone in my first grade class, including Miss Davis, our teacher.  Along the way, I made a lot of friends and I fell in love with a beautiful girl, who has had my heart for over 37 years now.  That being said, I may have inadvertently hurt someones feelings because they couldn't be my special girl.  No, I am not talking about Ronnie Whitacre or Freddie Goss for that matter.

So, let's fast-forward to the present...With the onset of my favorite social network site, I have been able to reconnect with those school chums from my past.  I am now friends with people who were only acquaintances previously.  We share pictures of our kids and grandchildren and share the events of our day with one another.  We have moved on and grown up.  It's fun to re-live the past but it's even more fun to enjoy the present.  We are all better for the experience.  For the most part, everyone accepts friend requests from former classmates.  Sometimes it's just because we're curious about how people's lives have turned out but mainly it's because we have shared a common bond.  Growing up in Cumberland during the sixties and seventies was magical.  It's hard to explain unless you experienced it first hand.

But one person has found it necessary to reject my reaching out to be their social network friend, not once, but twice.  I watch as they accept everyone else's request; but mine gets rejected.  At first I thought that maybe they rejected me by mistake...I mean, hey...it's Bill Kirby, and everyone loves Bill.  And therein lies the problem...this person had a crush on me from elementary school through high school.  Oh she loved me all right...but she couldn't have me.  Some cutie pie from East Side got her claws in me good and never let go.

Perhaps this is her way of saying, "Hey Billy...you rejected me, now I'm rejecting you."  That's fine.  It doesn't bother me too much.  Besides, by not having you as my friend, I have so much more time to dedicate to all my other Social Network buddies!

Be Well.

Bill