The warm glow of freinds melts even a midwest winter. Film in March

I have been very lucky. I am still very close friends with a good number of the girls I went to high school with. I know we may only get together every few months, but these woman know me. they know my deep dark secrets and like me anyway.

So we are planing a GNO (girls night out). One of the girls mentioned we should invite the one the boys from days gone by for a drink --- an ex of one the crowd. So I suggested that we invite her old flame from HS. This got me to thinking. Who would I want them to invite for me?

I mean, if we were inviting lost loves... who would I pick.

The obvious is my first husband. but I don't think ex-husband can be included on a list like this. After all the term husband means prize won. The term ex means ... um yea thanks but not thanks. Isn't there a year supply of hamburger helper as a prize behind door number 3 instead? That would have been a better choice thinking back.

What about the one that got away? Well to be honest I did that once. I have never been able to wrap my brain and emotions around it and blog about it. The one thing I can say is that God is really merciful., otherwise I would have won this idiot's affections and had to deal with his drinking, DWI, and his lack of ambitions. I will say he was and always will be one hell of an arm piece! Yet, he always has been trouble for me. I lost a good friendship because of my addition to this guy. I won't do that again. He is an idiot and I am a bigger one for thinking that he is the one that got away.

There is the one who thinks I am the one who got away. Today I count him as a rather good friend of mine. We were so young. As one of my friends put it, I am his unfinished business. I wonder sometimes ... if i told him to run away with me, would he would drop it all and say yes? To be honest, that is purely a vein and egotistical thought. Why would any man do that for some girl from his past. Well as narcissistic as this whole post is anyway, let's be honest -- it is because I am that good!

After that,the list starts to thin.... I know the guys who "liked me" back in the day. Yet, back in the day I was the girl who let you know how it was, were it was, and just how to get there. So if I didn't do it then, I wont do it today. Sorry wrong number boys.

The last group would be the boys out of my class. Why the hell I ever even thought these guys would be interested in some one like me still boggles my mind. Not to mention I know I was the brunt of many a joke with this group. So maybe that is it. Maybe I want so-and-so to look at me, know that i find him attractive and not bust out into laughter. Maybe so-and -so would look at me and say WOW --- I passed this by??? Maybe...

After all is said and done, I think the people I want to be there are my friends.

New years day, I had the opportunity to hang with a group from back in the day. Couple of the girls and a couple of the guys. I wish more people were able to come, but still it was great. We talked about what happened to various people. We talked about where we are now. We realized we are all still so much the same. Yes we have matured. Some of us have less hair, some have a few more pounds and we have all grown up, but not so much that we are the drones we imagined adults to be. Granted, our kids may look at us differently -- yet we know who we are. As an added bonus, my husband joined us all. He put up with the old stories and looked to be having a good time. How awesome to have a man who can put up with me!

So for my part of the girls night out -- sure I want every head to turn--- for each of my girlfriends! I just want to be their in their glow. I want to see my shadow cast upon a wall from the light the emanate. I want to share in their memories, joys and victories as they have allowed me to do for the last 25+ years.