One of the best things to happen since being published is being able to reconnect with people I had lost touch with. So many old friends have contacted me after learning about my book through an alumni mag, or word of mouth, etc. (St. Louis is still a fairly small town.)
One of these friends is a guy I knew back when I was a kid. His house was the meeting place for all the kids in the neighborhood because he had a HUGE sandbox in his backyard with an elevated fort in the middle of it. (I had my first real kiss in that fort, though not from this guy!) I was a tomboy when I was little (still am, I guess), and I preferred to hang out with the guys instead of the girls (still do, I guess). The guys simply had more fun, IMO. They didn't gossip, they didn't hold grudges (if they got mad at each other, they tussled and then it was over), they didn't mind getting dirty, they played games that required running, and climbing -- physical things.
Anyway, my friend and I have been exchanging an email correspondence for some time now. He's an incredibly interesting person, and his emails are so entertaining. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always interesting.
His parents visited him recently, and I guess he must have mentioned that we were in touch, because his mom brought him some old pictures. He sent me a few, and this one in particular brought back so many memories.
Can you guess which one is me? LOL! The friend I've been corresponding with is the boy standing on the fender; the one who gave me my first real kiss is the boy right in front of the car. The little boy on the left is a younger brother of my friend.
Ah, memories. . .
