the columbus crew

my beautiful friend veronica and our friend (her husband) mike had a christmas party, just upon columbo arrival at their gorgeous first home. it was a perfect night, shared with friends from high school whom i've never lost touch with. there are about 15 of us, and i still see many about two or three times a year. not bad, considering i'm 29 and we're all over the country.

still, people fall in and out of touch in that time - things change, people break up and get together, get married and get divorced, get sick and get well. my homecrew - these friends - are beautiful people who are forgiving of all of it, the falling in and out, and because of that, we've stayed closer and WANT to see each other more. there's no pressure, because we know we'll always come back.

i didn't drive home this time, i flew, so amy brought her parents minivan out to my mom's and picked me up with muenz. immediately, it felt like we were 15 again (wait, 16 - we wouldn't be driving, right?), because we're riding around town in a parent's car, looking mostly the same and acting all the same. everyone has their stereotype: amy's the politician, tara m. is the sentimentalist, nicole the artist, rennick the goofball, claudia the hippie, me the hambone. nothing changes, except for the good; we get older and wiser (?), funnier and kinder. we multiply with partners and new friends. these new friends also rule, because some play the fiddle (see left).

a big surprise for us this winter was our friend megan's return. a few months back, megan had contacted me and told me of some hard times she's had this year. she was sad that she had fallen out of touch, but wanted to reconnect. she did, and she came to the party. everyone caught up quickly, and then things felt comfortable and the same, as they always do.

as years pass and my friends everywhere seem to only get better, i recognize how many of the old things that i love about each of them stay the same. megan was still wistful and wore the same simple silver bracelet she wore when she was 17; nicole still dropped things constantly and never noticed. those things that breed familarity, plus the new things - like growth they've experienced on their own - has made these people even more enjoyable and interesting.

to the homecrew, and to all of you.
those who couldn't make it, miss you; especially you, chrissy & trace.