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One supposes that we are getting into the "glory days" frame of mind. Lately it seems there’s been a resurgence of high school friends looking me up, gathering, touching base on friendster, or having reasons to wind up in old haunts. It still stuns me that my peers have procreated, (are we REALLY old enough to be responsible for small sentient beings!? I know I’m not competent for such a trust) and that now occasionally I detect gray hairs & paunchy abs on folks whom I have known since we were all "like a virgin". I think as a whole we are holding up well, but time slithers by…
I had a friend named Darleen in junior and senior high school. Never hung out together. We were most definitely in different crowds. My memory of her is of a perpetually smiling, tall, sporty, squeaky clean gal with long, shining, brown hair that sang in the Madrigals. So wholesome and pretty without need for make up and accoutrements, she could have been on a cereal box.
Me, I could never leave the house without black leather or lycra, and an hour’s worth of time spent on eyeliner and futile hair curling efforts. Instead of singing with the choir I was off smoking in the streets somewhere pining over long haired boys and skaters and writing inflammatory debates about abortion rights that freaked out the English teacher. He also advised me that wearing too much black means a person is "negative". And he threw a total hissy fit once when I hugged a guy friend. I got hauled into a hallway for a lecture on how "you are a leader among kids, and bright, and you shouldn’t be ‘necking’ at school, you need to set an example." I was quite confused…not sure exactly what ‘necking’ meant since that term was outta vogue, but I was pretty sure I wasn’t doing "it" since last time I checked a hug was just a hug. Go figure. Ah, the follies of youth.
Yet somehow in classes, and separate universes, Darleen and I were friendly with one another. Isn’t that always how it is? One on one we often can find connection to one another. But when we all go back to our respective packs/cliques things are different.
We exchanged cards and school portraits a few times. I’ll always remember when Mom was looking at my assortement of photos she commented on Darleen’s signature and comment that I was "sweet".
"Compliments from other girls really mean something. You should take it to heart. They don’t have any agendas and they are always more honest than boys." Hmmmm. In some aspects I guess that was good advice, the part about valueing the wisdom of women friends & taking it deep into the heart. There’s not a doubt in my head that if not for my amigas I would have gone ninja-postal and graced the 10 o’clock news in infamy years ago. Yet sadly, I think all us grown ups know now that not all women are more honest than males.
I hadn’t thought of Darleen in at least 13 years. Today, L, my junior high partner in crime (recently reclaimed via friendster) forwarded this:
Dear Friends of Darleen,
If you haven’t heard, Darleen (Hansen) Loch is in the hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah in critical condition with the Strep A flesh eating bacteria. She is currently in a medically induced coma. Darleen does not have health insurance so a fund has been set up in her name at Zions Bank to assist with the medical bills.
If you are interested in donating to this fund, please call 1-800-974-8800 and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Darleen H. Loch Donations fund. They may ask you what city she is from - it is Spanish Fork, Utah (where she lives with her husband and 5 children).
I am also putting together a book of emails and get well wishes from her friends and family and anyone else who would like to send her a message. Send your messages to jenhowick@comcast.net
Please forward this email to anyone you know that knows Darleen or anyone that you feel would be interested in this.Thank you!
Whoa. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Holy Toledo, to think the last blog was about microwaving bacteria. This flesh eating bacterium thing is like my worst science fiction nightmare gone 3-D. And I just read the other day that some horrible percentage of those who file bankruptcy do so due to medical bills.
Say a prayer for this lovely stranger whose smile and voice lit up a room. I can’t even fathom the notion of 5 children and living in Utah (say the least of life without insurance-I would have been bankrupted myself post-surgery if not for medical coverage) but that doesn’t matter. Material and spiritual support (and food balms) are what’s called for here.
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