Ring the Alarm

We met in kindergarten and became fast friends. She was the only other person who used the brown crayon in self-portraits. Our moms became friends and you know the whole deal. Birthday parties, skating rinks, park dates, etc.

So after kindergarten, we met again in middle school. 6th grade, we both learned how to play the clarinet. 7th grade we both dated the same guy. 8th grade we both transferred to our county's school of the arts.

With the advent of FB, we reconnected after YEARS. We exchanged numbers and promised to do lunch sometime over the summer. That was going on 3 years ago. We called each other with plans to meet over the breaks and our plans never coincided.

FAST FORWARD to January 2010.

I walk into my salon on an early Saturday morning and there she is, sitting at the shampoo bowl with conditioner in her hair.

"OH MY GOSH!!!! OH MY GOSH!!! OMIGOSH I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER!!"

and we jump right into each other's lives. "How's your momma/daddy/brother/sister?" I find out both our sisters attend State, both our brother's are doing big things, and on and on. Then the convo turns to our personal lives.

"I don't think I can take another year in Palm Beach County"

"Me neither!"

"Every week, I'm ready to move somewhere else"

"Man, I looked at Fairfax County, Va. Austin, TX, Atlanta, Ga..."

"Omigosh, I looked into Texas, DC, and Dekalb!"

Our convo was basically one of us saying something and the other going, "OMG, me too!" we both realize we're too young to be where we are right now, we have no hubbys or chaps (#shoutout Jameil) so we need to get our YFF on and on and on and on.

Then the convo turned to our mens. She let me know that for personal and professional reasons (more personal) she has to move. She needs a change and a place where she can start over. Her mentor has a job open for her in case she decides to move but she just hasn't done it yet. I shared that I simply have a strong urge to live somewhere else before I settle and speaking of settling, I caught her up on my sentiments regarding Dreez. Blah, blah, blah.

As of Saturday, she was ready to move to Georgia. Like, stoneface, "I need to get the fluck out of here". The guy she's been dating for years and who she hung around for doesn't seem to be getting his act together or is "waiting for something big to happen at his job". Well "something" hasn't happened so they've been stagnant. She also told me she "got into HU for grad school but stayed in town for him", with the tiniest bit of regret/resentment. Aww man, I saw what was me in that statement.

We kind of agreed that we're going to do US once this school year is over. We said it with such conviction that out hairdresser was like, "What is all this talk about leaving!?" and then she laughed when we told her, "We're 27! We need to get out before we get stuck!"

Anyhoo, her"man" proposed to her last night. And she accepted. She text me last night and I saw the message this morning.

I thought I was still sleeping and I had to check the name. Yeah, I know only one person with that name... but the Maxine I was talking to was "reds to go"! The Maxine I was just talking with had lots of issues to deal with regarding Julian... the Maxine I was conversing with made an unofficial pact with me about being young, flashy, and fly somewhere besides WPB, FL!!

So... a ring makes everything better?

I may come off as Miranda from SATC but what happened to all those dreams and plans you were just talking about on Saturday? and that dream job hand-made for you by your mentor? I'm trying not to be a skeptic as I type this and I know Corinthians told me love heals all wounds but...

RING the ALARM.

to be continued