Where'd Everybody Go?

As I was driving back from lunch today I was at a stoplight and for some reason was thinking about all the people that had sat at that stoplight and drove on. Because I have the most abstract random mind EVER this made me think about life in general and how people in my life are at my proverbial stop light and then move on.

As a child I had a bevvy of girlfriends in elementary school. I grew up in Bismark, ND and walked to school each day never fearing any harm - ah the joys of midwest, small town livin.

I went to Will-Moore Elementary school from grades K-4 and then moved to Minnesota with my family. I have extremely vivid memories of my elementary days. Sometimes I wonder if this isn't normal, because most people I ask can only remember vague things from growing up. I however can remember outfits I wore and bows that I had. I remember my bedroom down to the the color of the comforter and what was hidden under the bed. Most of all I remember all my friends - I can picture them in my mind.

Christy Wentz was a half native american and half white. She was the cutest girl in class and had sandy blonde/brown straight hair that was very 80's in that she hairsprayed the sides out and had the infamous claw bangs (you know the ones). She was good at math and ran faster than me in gym class. But we were very good friends. She got bussed in from "Lincoln" which I didn't realize was actually the reservation when I was a child. As an adult I now realize all the racism that went on with the Native Americans in my class.

Emily Nordwall had blonde curly hair (which I believe her mother permed) and pale skin with blue eyes. Her father was a doctor or lawyer of some sort. She was my rich friend. She got the cricket talking doll before ANY of my other friends and let me play with it. I later heard that she ended up being quite the pot head in highschool and then went on to be some sort of hippie in college. Who knows if that's true.

Kelly Klundt was the girl who moved in down the block when I was probably 8 or 9. I didn't realize her last name was funny until I was much older. Nor did I have any idea that her mother was a HUGE republican pro-lifer. I remember she used to go to the "clinic" to "volunteer" and she always wore her fur coat as she used to be some sort of model and was extremely fashionable. However Kelly's mother was a bit crazy - she used to only park in a parking space if the cars around it had the same color scheme as hers. I believe Kelly is now some sort of intern in a major Republican Senator's office in DC. Which doesn't surprise me one bit.

Mary Haman was my friend who moved in only 2 years before I left Bismarck. Her family was catholic as all get out. I'm talkin 13 kids catholic, say your rosarie everynight catholic, wall dedicated to saints and Mary catholic. Funny enough - Mary was the most "bad" friend I had. She stole, drank, smoked, and kissed boys. She was the one who stole her sisters car told me if I didn't get in I couldn't be her friend anymore and went joy-riding at 3AM only to get caught by a cop and brought down to the station. I bawled the whole time - I was 13. Mary was pretty but had a nasal like voice and bad scoliosis. Many times I had to wait for Mary to finish doing her rosary before we could go out and play. To this day I know the first couple of words only because she mumbled the rest.

Scott Maslowski was one of the boyfriends I had in 4th grade. He wore glasses and was smart but a little nerdy. In forth grade if you have a boyfriend it means you are "going out" and you don't actually GO anywhere or DO anything. It's all very sweet and cute I think.

Nathan Hangslaben was the cutest boy in class. Which is funny because now when I look back at those school pictures we all traded. He was not so cute. He too wore glasses. BUT, he played hockey and I went to some of his games with his sister who I was pretending to be friends with just so I could be around Nathan. We were "going out" for a while too. Same scenario, didn't DO anything or GO anywhere.

Anne Dwyer my friend from church. She was very wealthy and had a cabin with horses that we got to ride. She was meek but daring. I don't know how to explain the juxtaposition of that except to say, she would ride a clydesdale bareback at 8 years old but would still hide behind her mom when she met knew people. I admired Anne's knowledge of all things out doors. She was also into figure skating and very good from what I remember. Her brothers were terrors and we did what we could to avoid them.

The list goes on of the names and faces I remember. All the way on into highschool and college. I always remember people. I wonder where these people have gone... after they left my stoplight in life.