When I was in high school, I was a member of this local/state-wide/national youth group.  And well, it was high school.  So there were people who were popular (or thought they were), and people like myself, who were just friends with pretty much everyone but never used it for status.  Talked to lots of people, smiled, had jokes, and just had a good time without being all, 'oo look at me, I'm the president of this, I'm soooooooo cool!'.

Most of the 'popular' kids for four years happened to be my age - we just had a good year of people.  Either way, it wasn't that I WASN'T friends with them... it just wasn't that I was.  So we graduated and I have kept in touch with many people who mattered to me.  Especially via thefacebook.com.

In 8th grade, there was a group of boys and a group of girls - they evolved into more, but there were my bunkmates, and their really cute guy friends.  This is starting to be WAAAAAY off topic, so I'll backtrack.  A few days ago, I was 'friended' by one of those 'popular' boys.  One of the ones I knew for five years but was pretty sure he didn't know my name.  But anyway, him friending me and surprising the hell out of me has made me think A LOT about that time in my life.

Senior year, or the summer going into senior year, I went to the weeklong camp the group has.  But I was having a shitty time.  Truly shitty.  I wanted to go home.  It got really bad one night, when I had been upset all afternoon and my friend Beth had said she'd eat with me and talk with me...but then someone 'popular' told her she liked her belt, and Beth was gone.  I was so distraught that even she could leave me, I put my food down at a table, walked past a table full of close friends, and sat down outside, even though you were forbidden from doing so at a meal.

A few moments later, someone came outside too.  I figured it was a staff person, so I turned my head, hoping they'd see how pathetically I was crying and just let me compose myself.  Break the rules just this once.  When I did turn to see who was touching my leg, the person crouching in front of me was one of the boys who ran with the popular crowd.  Mickey.  I had always thought Mickey was a good kid, but this brief moment made him my hero.  He sat with me for about 2 minutes until one of my other friends realized and came out to be with me, and he quietly left.  And he'll always be in my heart for showing he cared when no one else did.

I just had to send someone a facebook birthday message, and when I clicked on the person's profile, the boy who friended me (Dave)'s pictures showed up, so I went to his profile.  On his wall, the last person to write, was Mickey.  Mickey who I've wanted to talk to for YEARS but haven't, Mickey who's risking his life by being a Marine, Mickey who is hysterically funny and sweet and someone I'd be privileged to call a friend.

So...can I friend him?