Prologue: Life is a Funny Journey

The warm summer wind is rushing through my hair again; if you know me, then you know how much I love that. I’m pushing myself, and the speed of this bike, on a gravel riding path that was converted from an old railroad line. The path quickly takes me out of Spring Haven and into the quiet countryside; I like this scenic little journey once and a while. And again, if you know me, then you know my mind is probably lost deep in thought and wandering off on its own again.

Life is funny, you know, big changes come so fast when you’re eighteen. Just a few short weeks ago we were throwing our caps in the air and cheering, “We did it!” We shook hands, patted backs, and hugged one another – even with those we didn’t associate with very much over the last four years. A collective feeling of accomplishment rippled through our Graduating Class of Maplewood High. I can still hear echoes of the school band playing Pomp and Circumstance and Don’t Stop Believin’ in my head.

For reaching such a big milestone, here we are back at the beginning, soon to be starting all over again as freshmen this fall.

Tiffany is on vacation in Europe with her family and I miss her. I miss the scent of her favorite shampoo lingering in her hair, I miss her soft lips touching mine, I miss feeling her warm body pressed against me. She always made me feel that everything was going to be okay when she had her arms around me.

I have a lot of wonderful people in my life, although the missing of my special one sure does hurt. Her being gone has created a hole in my heart that’s going to take some serious time to heal. Yeah-yeah, I know, I need to move on - I must, I have no choice. I tell myself that every damn day. No one ever said this was going to be easy.

Life is funny. I was the first of us Three Amigos, or Three Stooges, depending on how you want to describe my friendship with Marc and Jeff to get a girlfriend. Now they both have girlfriends and I’m the single one again. Tiffany and I promised to remain friends and stay in touch through our college time apart, but honestly, who knows where we’ll be after four long years?

Summer is back and so is Renee. She’s still the fun, sweet, and wonderful person she always is. That makes me smile.

“Life is a journey,” they say, and I agree, it is, but life is also made up of many separate little side journeys, all woven into the fabric of our being this way and that, each playing their part in shaping who we are and where we’re heading.

Oh look, there’s a little bridge up ahead. Have you ever noticed how it’s kind of fun to ride your bike across a bridge? Yeah, I can wax poetic in a broad sense, but I still value noticing the small things in life too - it’s funny that way...