I won’t divulge my friend’s age, that’s up to her to share because she’s a lady. What Sheila is up to on her birthday is a mystery to me since she hasn’t answered my letter or the card I sent. They haven’t been returned with any invectives, such as the case with my friend Lazz (another mystery I’m trying to solve).
It’s her birthday which should be a celebration so I want to focus on all the positive things she has brought to my life over our 21 years of friendship, even if it’s off and on. I originally only knew her slightly from Mrs. Lacy’s Latin II class at Clear Creek HS in League City, TX. Either Sheila has a steel-trap memory or I must have been memorable; she’s the one who introduced herself at the initial WMUR meeting because I never would’ve figured it out. During most of the Spring 1987 semester, I would drop by the radio station on Friday afternoons to check out the show she shared with Preacher Moss, this upper-classman who was very witty and had pull with the station management to guarantee he only had female interns. I didn’t go by to crowd their show, I think I was there unknowingly getting re-acquainted with Sheila to give myself some kind of mental anchor; all the changes in high school made me feel as if I didn’t have a base or past. I know, it’s a weird thing yet those are the best words I could find to explain it.
Outside of our friendship, she influenced my musical preferences slightly; the biggest one being everything but the girl which I originally found rather wimpy, something in the Barry Manilow camp. However, she was right about them all along, especially when their 1990 release became one of my all-time favorites. We also took in a couple shows together, oddly the one I usually remember was the Circle Jerks at the VFW and Imperial Drag in Houston. She’s very creative as well. I have some envelopes she created from magazine pictures in a box as souvenirs since I use e-mail, iChat and my page more often. But my favorite thing about her is her laugh and pleasant disposition. Unlike me, I’ve never recalled Sheila ever being in a nasty funk, depressed or feeling foul. I hope she hasn’t lost that outlook.
If you know her, wish her a happy birthday and tell her to drop me a line. I wanted to give her a more personal salutation. Who knows, maybe Sheila will poke me on Facebook like Cindy did or I’ll bump into her at the upcoming They Might be Giants show.