it's a small world after all!

in yet another "god, it's such a small world!" episode in my life, i have just reconnected with someone i knew in high school. these episodes never fail to freak me out, because they drive home the point that life is so fucking random, and i don't like that. my OCD does not like that. but i DO like finding out that someone i used to know is still very cool and talented! so here's how it happened:

my fab friends jonas and leslie gave nate some awesome board books for his birthday -- they're really cute and funky! i noticed that the author/artist's name looked familar, but didn't really think anything of it until a few days ago, when we were looking at them again. first of all, it's not a common name, so i didn't think it would be impossible that it might be the person i thought it was. wow, did that make sense? anyway, google to the rescue! it turns out that he has a website and mentions that he went to BYU. okay. now, that's more than a coincidence. the dude i knew was a mormon! and i remember he liked to draw! at least, he did when we were sufffering through driver's ed together. he was a pretty quiet guy, but i remember thinking that he was cute in a skinny skater-kind of way. we weren't close, but i knew he was way cooler than all the other idiots in that class. and then he was gone! i remember he moved somewhere REALLY far away -- i want to say new zealand or something like that. you know, i may have even had a crush on him, though it's hard to remember 20 fucking years ago! oh my god, i learned to drive 20 years ago. no wonder i'm such an awesome driver. heh.

today i mustered up the courage to email him. i don't know why i had reservations about it -- i mean, what's the worse that could happen? it's not him. no big deal. but it seems kind of stalkerish for some reason. like i'm some delusional fan or something! well, no need to worry. his reply:

Hey funny person.

I remember Garfield but I barely remember 10th grade gym class. And I am embarrassed to say that any Debbie ***s are a faded memory. But if I were to take a guess . . (the morrissey comment sparked a memory, albeit most likely false) . . were you like an alternative person? dark hair? somewhat asian in appearance? did I lend you my Thrasher magazine so you could read an article about The Cure?

If the answer is yes to these questions then I actually do remember a Debbie ***.

Anyway I'd be interested to know. I am very glad you wrote as it is such an odd experience to hear a voice out of the past. Maybe send me a teenage photo or something for my brain works only in visual mode, that would be cool.

Kit
(the mormon that wore Kiss t-shirts)
(oh, yeah, and if you received the "seasonal" "one word a page" books I do have another book coming out April 1st called Slide Already! it is ultracool and you should run immediately to your nearest bookseller to purchase multiple copies)

ha! funny, huh? i love the "alternative" part. heh. it's still pretty bizarre how all that came about, but i am glad it did. now it makes me wonder what happened to all those other cool kids from high school!