PTA meetings.

My good friend got married today. I have known her since I was in Highschool. She is inquisitive, and no matter how bright it is outside, how dark it gets at night, or how cold it may be, she resonates the same warm glow. I remember when we became good friends, it was when I went to UCF. We existed in a world without consequences, or maybe we just didn't think of them. Our friendship was one of the more pure things I've experienced in my life, and it was always platonic. Although, some always thought our behavior was strange, a bit too comfortable and close. One semester in college, we had some classes together. In philosophy, she would always come in the classroom the same way and I swear she was always smiling. And what is great about it, is that I think she smiled right when she saw me. We sould sit there and pass notes to one another and talk about God and politics. We used to fight about politics, and we used to spend the night at each other's apartments. It was like we were 5 years old and didn't know about anything else save for the fact that we simply enjoyed each other's company. I imagine at point I was in love with her, maybe not. You know those friends that you have, or had, that are somewhat responsible for who you are today? She was one...one of the only ones. We would sit in her room and look at old pictures and talk about her favorite jeans, or Saves the Day, she taught me about Elvis Costello and Belle and Sebastian, and had a cat named penny lane. We wondered about families and laughed at how lame we used to be in highschool. She was into Ska when she was in highschool. One time we went to Jacksonville together and saw Saves the Day play, it was spiritual, Saves the Day always have been for me I think. At the show, she found Chris Connely and told him to dedicate a song to me, and he did. "This goes out to Zach from his lady friend", and then they started playing "Holly Hox Forget Me Nots." We've always been close, but that one semester was like a perfect episode of tranquility with a person. I remember laughing constantly, and learning even more. She is complex and analytical, and she knows me too well. She can look at my face and know what I'm thinking. I remember I wrote her a note, and I forget what it said, and she was getting gas at an Exxon and for some reason she put the note on top of her car for a second, and then she forgot about it, it blew away and both of us wonder what that note said. Anyway, she's married now, and her life will never be the same. After a ceremony that lasted no longer than episode of "friends", her life is not soley hers anymore. So I saw her get married and I felt like an outsider there, even though, at the same time, I felt that I knew about her life more than most people there, but thats arrogant and dillusional considering we haven't hung out for more than a day in the last 2 or so years, maybe more. I'm happy for her, she can grow old and lose her ideals and rebellion, not because of anything other than a shfit in focus. Her focus will now be on her husband, and she will get up everyday and worry about him. She maybe won't worry about abortion rights, or the next political election, she won't sit and analyze songs anymore, and she won't worry about seeing bands play, she will wake up every morning with one thing on her mind, being a good Wife to her husband, and in time, a good mother. So that's beautiful, when your priorities shift and your thinking revolves around someone else. Block parties and PTA meetings, a bland suburban existance that is wonderful because of who you love, not because of what you do everyday. I wish her many pleasant Sunday afternoons. Congratulations.