First off, thanks to all of you who said some nice stuff in the comments about the last blog. Don’t worry too much. On the balance of things I am still having an awesome time over here. I think everyone goes through tough days & stuff & that just puts the joy of the rest of it into contrast!
On to my Story.
To tell this story properly, one that I should have told at least a week ago, you have to come back with me a huge 8 years! back in those days it was only “posers” who used mobile phones in public, being asked for ID at a club was a major embarrassment rather than a compliment, and Tim still had to ask his parents for permission before he could take the car out for the night.
I remember those times really well. Jeans, approximately 15 sizes too large (but at that time, at least they covered my underwear) adorning my legs, “AKIRA” T-shirt declaring that I was casual, but somehow cool because I knew the name of a Japanese cartoon, and a smile on my face, because I was almost 21 years old, and in three years out of school, so I was obviously much more cool than those dorky 1st years…
At this time I would also have been smiling because I had a lovely girl on my arm. For the sake of this exercise we will call her Allison. Actually, her real name is actually Allison, but I have always loved the term “for the sake of this exercise” and refuse to give up any opportunity I have to use it during any kind of verbal, or written correspondence.
Sorry… where was I? Oh yeah, so Allison & I dated for about three months, and then as was the fashion in those days, we broke up. Of course, I think I was pretty immature about how I went about this whole process, the result of which was that within three months of that time, I had little or no idea where Allison was, and what she was doing.
Cut to 8 years later.
In the intervening time Tim has convinced himself that he is obviously more cool than those 3rd year “kids” hanging out in pubs, he has gained some scars, done some travel, enjoyed some study & eventually found himself typing in an awesome cafe near the centre of Edinburgh. Allison has moved back to the state of New York, where she had done a “gap year” after school, received a ring that most probably had one or several diamonds on it, and followed that up shortly after by receiving and giving a gold band, then settled down to a life of matrimonial bliss in the US of A.
So one day, Allison, who works recruiting & selling people to other people (for jobs, that is, not slavery) is at work, doing some research for a jeweler looking for someone who might be good at working with gold. In her search for “Gold Smiths” whose website should happen to pop up? None other than your old mate Timmy G! Plucking up the courage, she decides to find out if this is actually the guy she knew almost a decade ago. A couple of emails later, we have both recovered a new OS friend and answered one of those late night “I wonder whatever happened to…..” questions.
I still stand amazed at the ability to keep my mates at home up to date on my movements here, so it is no wonder that I am almost floored at the coolness of being able to “run into” an old friend despite being on different continents. The coincidence certainly brought a smile to my face.