The Past is Everywhere

Ran into an old, dear friend outside a small store along a busy highway in my beautiful hometown Saturday afternoon. She looked stunning and strong, just like I remember, and sounded the same. It had been years, I'm ashamed to say, since I had a meaningful conversation with her; time had gotten in the way, and there was no way around it. But here we were, after too much silence, standing in the cool fall air, her smoking her Marlboro Light, me wishing I could join in the fun. We exchanged pleasantries and asked the right questions, yet this was no by-the-book, chance encounter. This was a run-in that made me miss my old friends and think about the time that today lies between us, like dirty leaves along a quiet highway. As much as I love the way the world looks today, I loved the way it looked back then, years ago, where there was nothing stopping us from growing up in the manner we chose, and doing it like there was nothing to lose. Seeing her brought back a flood of memories that I cherish, and made me realize how fleeting life can be. Seeing her, and seeing how much she has changed, made me realize how much I have changed. Two souls reconnected one fall afternoon along a busy highway near a very small town. We shivered in the cold and retreated to our warm worlds. This evening, I drink to her, and I think about the warm worlds of another time.