Many moons ago in the back row of an algebra class my freshman year of high school, I met a girl…
who hated math as much as I did
and loved words as much as I did.
We were the nerds in the group of our friends.
the ones who took honors and AP classes,
who had brains but still a desire to have a good time,
who ran with the “bad kids” on the weekends.
Okay, we were the proverbial catholic school girls.
We’d fall in love with silly high school boys
and fight over homecoming dresses and
write poems instead of taking notes in Sister Fallon’s class and
dream of days beyond the teenage years.
Then we graduated.
I went on to a Big Ten school with sororities and frats and
binge drinking and really smart kids
binge drinking and really smart kids
with uber rich parents.
She left for Manhattan to go to film school
with really creative kids
with really creative kids
with uber rich parents.
I’d visit her often, scourging up plane fare
from my tips waiting tables,
from my tips waiting tables,
dreaming to ditch that Big Ten school,
and sleep on her couch instead.
We both left college with
boatloads of student loans and
our heads filled with dreams.
boatloads of student loans and
our heads filled with dreams.
We’ve been best friends for almost 20 years.
My dear friend, has made it.
She made a short film called “L Train” last February here in Chicago
during the worst blizzard this city has seen in decades.
during the worst blizzard this city has seen in decades.
and that little film
was accepted into a festival you may have heard of…
and another in France…
Keep your eye on this girl, dear readers.
She’s going to be telling stories and making films and living out her dreams.
Anna, you’ll be kicking the glass ceiling of the film world with your little black boots.
You may not have the trust fund to back up your dreams, but you have stories to tell.
Those stories are what is the most important.
Money can buy many a thing, but it can’t buy talent.
My dearest friend…
This is the starting line for you.
Break a leg, in honor of that nun…who told the two of us, in spite of our stellar grades…
we’d be lucky to flip hamburgers.
we’d be lucky to flip hamburgers.
How exciting!
How exciting!
What a wonderful story! Congratulations to your friend. Maybe someday she’ll write a story about her fun times with her encouraging and talented best friend!
Wow! So exciting!
Sounds sweet. Can’t wait to check out “L Train”. Creative friends rock! We have a lot of Chi-Town film maker friends. Loved your comments about your high school days, too:
…who hated math as much as I did
and loved words as much as I did.
We were the nerds in the group of our friends.
the ones who took honors and AP classes,
who had brains but still a desire to have a good time,
who ran with the “bad kids” on the weekends.”
Ha! I was public school and presbyterian but otherwise dead on accurate–AP class, word nerd who partied with all the stoner art students and punks. I kinda still am
.
Oh, wow! That is so freakin’ awesome! Congrats to your friend! And congrats to you both for your friendship
My BFF and I have been BFFs since we were rockin’ Punky Brewster shoes and side ponies–she’s the sister I never had. 
Wonderfully written, especially celebrating your friendship enduring those 20 years.
http://www.craftingrebellion.com