Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Gravity or Instinct, I Just Knew

Tuesday’s dinner was done and it was time to head out for a favorite weekly destination.  I still didn’t have my license, so I climbed into Mom’s black Integra and she drove me to the local elementary school for my Girl Scout meeting in the library.

The glowing sun was still up, but lowering in the sky, casting long light shadows across the campus.  I always felt peaceful walking towards the library from the parking lot.  Having moved many times, this was my third troop in two states and full of great girls. 

While I only joined this particular Cadette troop in the eighth grade, they had been together for several years already.  And most of us had bridged up to Seniors, when we graduated from junior high to high school.

It wasn’t like another gathering of school friends, later in the day.  Several of the girls, did go to the public high school with me, but there were also girls from the private Catholic school’s all girl campus in a neighboring town, girls from the other public high school in town, and more girls who attended the boarding school at the base of the mountain nearby as local day students.  We were quite a mix and yet, schools didn’t separate us, rather our Girl Scout troop united us.

This particular Tuesday evening, one of the girls from one of those other schools brought her best friend to a meeting, just to show and share what Girl Scouts was all about.  I couldn’t tell you what she was wearing or what she was doing, other than smiling while her eyes darted around as she took all of us in, when this new girl walked into her first Girl Scout meeting.  But I can tell you this, I knew we would be friends. 

Every neuron in my head, every molecule in my heart knew we would connect.  I could feel the strong tug of an unseen force propelling me towards her, like the ocean’s tide, compelled by the moon’s gravity.  And a split second after our introduction, I put my arm through hers, knowing she must have thought I was a total loon, and started marching her across the institutional carpet, through the small library, introducing her to everyone else.

My response was purely instinctual when I linked my arm through hers.  Twenty years later, she’s like a sister to me.


I am writing along with RemembeRED, from The Red Dress Club for this first time.  We were prompted to:  "Imagine you are meeting someone for the first time. You want to tell them about yourself.  Instead of reciting a laundry list of what you do or where you're from, please give us a scene from your life that best illustrates your true self."

If you are a regular here, you might be able to guess that this girl, now woman, is one of my Four Musketeers, who responds to the camp name, Snoopy!  And don't worry, I didn't steal her from her best friend, who responds to the camp name Woodstock, because she's also a Four Musketeer! :>

12 comments:

  1. I loved this post! That instant connection of kindred spirits is so special and so rare. I'm glad that she's still a part of your life. A big part, from what I could tell when I popped over to your other link. :)

    And I love that you were a Girl Scout in high school. I never made it past Brownie.

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  2. So, you have always had good instincts. I think that is impressive! I feel like I have learned to listen to my instincts and follow them more as I grow up. I mean, I'm almost 35 but better late than never, right?! :) Here from RDC.

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  3. I completely agree with Mandy. Its so rare to find someone that you can instantly connect with & when you do its always a special thing.

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  4. I love those moments of pure chemistry with someone, when you just know them, without ever having known them.

    Lovely story!

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  5. Ooh! Those moments are neat! And often far too rare. :) Nice.

    -visiting from the Red Dress Club linkup :)

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  6. awwwww. i totally have had friends like that. something in you just knows, that kindred spirit connection thing. :) I love how your troop united you all from different schools, that's so awesome!

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  7. Troop 667 forevah!
    I love this, and I love that you remember meeting Snoop so vividly. Lovely.

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  8. Fine tribute to a dear friend! Such a wodnerful thing that you four have grown up together!

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  9. I love that you instantly saw that connection. And then acted on it. Too often we let those moments slip away.

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  10. love those girl scout stories! i hope we are done moving around soon so my little ones can join a troop and stay with them...lasting friendships for sure! i just found my last leader online...have to send her a card! it has been 20 years!

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  11. Aw, what a sweet memory. I remember sharing crayons with my soon-to-be best friend on the first day of kindergarten. We've been friends ever since. Visiting you from the Time Travel.

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  12. Stopping from Time Travel Tuesday a day late! You just know sometimes when we meet someone that you will be friends.

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