The Only Virgin I Ever Knew

I had a friend from 7th grade through about 10th or 11th and her name was Bridget(alias). We were inseparable during that time where your girlfriends are your life. We went on several family trips together. I would go with her to her family cabin every summer and she would come with us to Cancun etc etc.

Bridget was a very religious girl. She attended church every Sunday and was active in her youth group. I was too, but more so to meet boys than anything else. I would ride my bike to Bridget's house every morning the summer's before 8th and 9th grade. We wouldn't even make the arrangement it was just a given that I would show up around 9 and then we would sit by her pool till about 2. I was a very tan teenager... and am now a very pale adult.

Bridget had boyfriends as did I. The difference was that she kept them at an arms distance when it came to all things sexual. The weirdd thing was that it wasn't her parents that were instilling this in her. It was HER decision to be like this. I remember her parents begging her to loosen up and relax with her boyfriends. Her parents, I'm pretty sure, were ex-hippies.

I remember the first real fight we had. She found out that I had lost my virginity to my boyfriend of two years. She wouldn't speak to me for weeks. I tried to explain it to her but she wouldn't hear it.

We gradually went our separate ways but still remained friendly and would hang out from time to time.

When we both went to college she ended up going to an ultra-conservative christian private college that had rules about how wide the door had to be when boys were in your room. I went to a private college too, but mine was all about sex, drugs, and drinking. About half way through my freshman year I received an email from Bridget.

The email was sent to pretty much everyone and anyone she had ever spoken to from highschool, not just her close friends. In it she condemned us all to hell and told us that she could never have relationships with any of us because we do not live in the image of christ. She has now found her home and is surrounded by people who love God.

I wasn't shocked by this email. Not in the slightest. Freshman from this particular college that she was attending were known for sending this email out. It's like some sort of right of passage there. Once you denounce all your heathen friends from highschool you are then closer to become truly righteous.

She called me a year later to apologize. I wasn't surprised by this either. She's not a bad person - she just got a little excited about the whole christian thing. I forgave her before she asked for it because I knew they weren't her words. Although she was asking for forgiveness she wasn't asking for friendship so I left it at that.

I recently found her father's email and sent him a quick note asking how he was doing and how Bridget was doing. He got very excited and sent me an email right away. As did her mother who gave me Bridget's email, address, and phone number. I decided to email Bridget and just see what's up with her.

She wrote back and seemed interested in getting together. She's married now (which seems to be true for almost everyone I meet my age these days) and has an 18 month old little boy. I called her cell phone today and heard her voice for the first time in seven odd years. Talk about a strange feeling. It was my 14 year old friend on the voicemail - shy, nervous, but an adult.

We're meeting next week for coffee or ice cream (her suggestion - I'm assuming she probably doesn't drink).

So - do you think I can ask her what it was like to finally have sex??? hehehehe.

KIDDING - I'm kidding.

maybe.