Taking that second chance

Life is funny. I don’t mean funny - ha ha - but more funny as in bizarre at times.

Even with the most routine lives, you don’t sometimes know what twists and turns you will be offered from time to time. Or second chances.

Throughout my relatively short life thus far, I have had some times that I would considered very successful. And, like Ol’ Blue Eyes crooned, I’ve had a few regrets, too. Most of my regrets seem
to fall into two categories: things I failed to do or simply just missed out on and people I failed to get to know.

Sue falls into that latter category. We met on the campus of Mississippi University for Women. I was a junior transfer student, she was a sophomore I met at one of those early social club rush parties that I attended for the sole purpose of getting the chance to meet a good portion
of the MUW enrollment. Of course, I ended up pledging a social club but I guess that’s a story for another blog. Or not.

Anyway, I liked Sue instantly. She had this warmth and depth to her that you rarely found in college coeds. She simply oozed of self-confidence, too. Something I desperately was seeking at that time in my life. Despite the fact that Sue had most all the qualities I was seeking for my new circle of friends at my new university, I never allowed Sue into the circle.

In retrospect, I’m not certain that she tried that hard to get in, but I’m not equally certain I tried too hard to let her in either. So I spent two years at The W, graduated with big dreams to make a huge mark on the world of journalism and life, well, proverbially went on.

From time to time I often find myself reminiscing about those two years I spent at The W. Although I still keep in contact with a handful of folks I met there, and I’m grateful for their constant and supportive friendship, I sometimes find myself wondering what happened to several of the people I
genuinely believed would be lifelong friends, too. On several occasions I have tried to get in contact with some of them. Many I’ve located and have attempted to get them more active in my life today; others I think are just content to not have me in their lives now. And I’m learning to deal with both scenarios. Even believing that, though, doesn’t keep me from the desire to simply reconnect with some of those special folks from that very significant time of my life and have them become a significant part of my little corner of the world today.

Recently, I’ve reconnected with two people thanks to the magic of the “social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.”

One of these people now lives in North Georgia. Hilary entered The W shortly after I had graduated from there and became a member of my social club, the Dixie Belles. I’d be lying if I said I totally remembered her when I first received her friend request on Facebook. There had been a lot of that proverbial water travel under that proverbial bridge and, well, my memory sometime isn’t what it used to be. I knew I was supposed to know her, really I did. I was just having a bit of trouble placing her. After a couple of messages between me and my little sister, Dawn, I totally remembered Hilary and was even more glad she had contacted me.

For the past few weeks we have been able to catch up on our lives now and get to know one another even better. It truly feels like a blessing to be given this opportunity and it’s one I am truly thankful for receiving.

The other person I’ve reconnected with during the last few weeks? You guessed it, Sue. A couple of days ago, I was checking my Facebook account and noticed I had a new friend request. Clicking on that link, I was ecstatic to see it was from Sue. For an entire day, I attempted to find the time and the words to send her an email and let her know how much reconnecting with her means to me.

Later that afternoon, I got the opportunity to just tell her in person. Well, as much “in person” as you can be using the chat module on Facebook (yet another thing that makes reconnecting with folks via the Internet a unique and special thing). The more I began trying to tell her what was in my heart, the more I seemed to stumble over my words. Eventually, though, I was able to share with her some things that I’d waited more than several decades to let her know.

And I have to believe some of what I said meant as much to her to hear as it did to me to be able to let her know.

I’ve been given a special gift via what some folks consider an unorthodoxed manner – a second chance to get to know someone. This time I don’t intend to blow the opportunity.