What I Would Have Said

I had an appointment at the Storycorps booth on Saturday, October1st. For those who don't know, Storycorps is an oral history project sponsored by NPR. They have mobile booths going cross country to collect people's stories to preserve them. Maybe because my mom died when I was young (moms being the traditional keeper of the family history) or because I'm a huge fan of stories or perhaps just cause I like to talk, I wanted very much to participate. I settled on doing it with my best friend, Carrie, who I've known for 20 years now. The Ann Arbor dates filled too quickly so we were aiming for Murray, KY. But, life is messy and plans get unraveled and we were unable to go. So, this what I would have said:

My friend, Carrie is, hands down, one the coolest people I know. In my close friends I am always attracted to those "never met a stranger" types (probably because I'm so not that way) and she definately qualifies. She also has that scientist/artist/mom vibe going on which is tremendously appealing-her right and left brain are switched way on. Carrie is also one of those people who can always see a thing or a person's potential, which speaks to her deep down optimistic spirit and good eye. When you go thrifting with her (as she says "it is the way of our people") she'll inevitably find that cool, hip thing you overlooked that you'll be kicking yourself for missing all the way home. But then she'll offer to share custody of it (we had a Petey t-shirt we shared for years-you know, the Little Rascals dog) and then you're just hap-hap-happy she's your friend.

Whether she's on a boat in the middle of her beloved ocean or home with her daughter, Riley (cool in her own 4 year old way) Carrie is and will always be there for me. Through marriage, divorce and all the sidetrips and detours along the way we've been together. We may not get to see each other as much as we would like but we are true blue nevertheless.

It's not the world's most dramatic or original story but it's mine and I'm sorry I didn't get to tell it. I hope whoever took our spot had one as full of love and friendship to tell.