Second chances

So after the reunion I have been thinking. The talk there was about illness, death and hip replacements! Well, not all the talk, but a fair bit of it, even though the demographic was from just under 50 to 65ish. At one point I thought perhaps everyone who had ever worked in that office was 'doomed'! I mean, generally, I had a good time catching up with the people I wanted to see but some of the conversation was 'old'. And then I remembered that I was one of the youngest of the team when I was there and so consequently my aged self of the moment was - unusually for me these days - one of the youngest there.

In contrast, in my current job, I am probably one of the top 5 oldest people in the building! Perhaps this is why I don't get the illness and death conversations very often? Most of the people I work with could be my offspring. So, when we go the the pub en masse on a Friday night, not only is there a fair amount of work talk but generally a lot of "What are you doing at the weekend?" sort of chat, most of which is full of energy and busyness.

And so I feel I am getting a second chance to be young again, surrounded by youth, for whom illness and death are in the very distant future, the youthful- one of which I once was - who feel they can live forever.

I never did want to grow up. Still don't.

How about you?

Reunion

Sometimes I think that it's a blessing that we can't see into the future...

A while back a work reunion was organised from the building company I worked before having a family, it's more than 18 years since I left. Today was the day we all met for lunch, it wasn't a full compliment but the person I really wanted to meet again was still going, so despite feeling a bit under the weather, I made it to the venue - the last to arrive as usual!

As I walked into the bar I noticed everyone in the far corner. And there she was, my old sales director, 20 years older than me - almost exactly - and still looking much the same as she always did. She hadn't changed a bit, still beautiful, slightly caustic and definitely superior! But that is only on the outside. We had  mutual respect for each other in those days, I envied her her strength and she admired my design sense. We had worked well together.

She left the company not long before I did, she had breast cancer and to my shame, I didn't keep in touch. In the last 20 years she has had a mastectomy, lost her husband to suicide, had several failed dating agency relationships, several high powered jobs and had recently married a millionaire. So much drama in not many years, perhaps a blessing we don't know what the future holds?

Today we reminisced about working together, we always had a ball! I don't think the workplace is like that anymore - everyone is so 'professional' now! In those days her ashtray on her desk was piled high with fag ends and once the architect dept dressed as ninja turtles and kidnapped her PA!

Today we talked about all the sites we worked with, she remembers all the house designs and I remember the names of the hundreds of meters of fabric I ordered. "Which was your favourite" she asked
"I loved them all" I replied "otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do my job"
All that time ago, but it is still in our bones and, now I've thought about it, sadly missed by us all.

As we left, we kissed in the car park. "You look amazing" I told her
"You always have" she replied. And we parted ways again.


Who knows what the future holds?

North Devon and us!

Early evening, Tall Girl and I share a bottle of cider and put the world to rights... She is lovely company and talks freely-perhaps we are both a little intoxicated?

We are alike in what we want, 30 years apart in age but basically strangely similar. Is that right?

She wants a nice boy, a companion and good friend to enjoy simple things with. I have a friend with a spare son! Would it be wrong to matchmake?

It's sunny here in Devon and life is running at a different pace.

What makes Suburbia happy?

It's the school holidays and the kids are away for a week. The last week of term seemed endless, it must be a psychological thing - sort of waiting for the end makes time stretch out further for longer. Anyway, here we are, the first Monday of the holidays, so why do I feel so exhausted? Is it because my alarm went off as usual and I was out of the house at 7.45? Did I forget that it was the holiday? No, I took the car into the garage for 8am...again...

However, it's not the early morning that's caused the tiredness - though it would have been a bonus to have a lie in- but the truth is, while the children are away, I make the most of being single! I arrange too many lovely things in too short a space of time. So on Friday my oldest and best friend came over to spend the night. We ate out, shared a bottle and came home to chat until 2am! Now I'm not much good at burning the candle at both ends but it was a great night and too precious to cut short - we don't get together that often.

Sunday another good friend and I met for an early supper with the view to an early night as she had an early start. However, it didn't quite work out as early as we anticipated! So by this morning I felt a little sleep deprived and very slightly jaded...

I feel blessed to have had such a social whirl of a weekend - it's what makes Suburbia happy- friendship, communicating, talking into the night, eating! It's been fun.

I texted a friend from work earlier 'Were we getting together tonight or Wednesday?'
'Wednesday would be better' she replied ' I'm cooking curry in my PJs!'
So that's is something else to look forward to, and I'm with Mum tomorrow - we are going to look at Rodin's 'The Kiss' which is currently in Cheltenham art gallery - I'm ridiculously excited!

So yes, I'm happy, happy, happy! At this rate I'll need another holiday to get over this one!

What are you doing for Easter?