The older I get, the more I enjoy “Friends.”
I’m dangerously close to the age the girls were when the series began, and I so get where these characters were in life. (It actually makes me kind of happy that I didn’t watch the show when it first debuted. I was 13. I totally would not have appreciated it.)
But now I’m in the middle of my 20-something years. I have no money and I’m about to begin the third job of my career. My girl friends and I love to gossip about the guys we’re dating (which I know is completely normal, but we’re doing it now more than ever!).
Until recently, though, most of my closest friends were in other states. When the girls and I got together for a Florida trip in May, we represented five different states. (Paula’s in Georgia, Apryl lives in Virginia, I’m a ‘Bama girl, Heather represented Mississippi and Alison is the only one still in Florida.) Alisa was in California until last week, Megan is in New York, Lara has lived in three states in 2006.
Thank God for IN calling and free long distance.
But I feel like the tide is changing. Susan moved to town and Heather arrives Monday. Katie’s in Montevallo, but we’re considering becoming roommates this winter.
My “Friends” group is starting to take shape.
Seriously though, there have been times in the past several years where I realized I was jealous of characters on a TV show. That’s silly, maybe, but it’s true — and I don’t think I was alone in that. The greatest thing about college was living with my best friends, and I don’t think I could overemphasize the value of having those people nearby. I have tons of friends in this state already, but there’s something great about showing up at a friend’s house and waiting for her in her backyard hammock.
I’m Monica, and now I have my Phoebe and my … other Phoebe. (And maybe a third on the way?) Send Joey, Ross and Chandler on over and I may never move from this city again.
Monica to Rachel at the end of the pilot, after Rachel cuts up her credit cards: Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re going to love it.
PS: I originally started writing this post, with a completely different intent, on July 9, 2005. How about that. And I even remember WHY I started writing it — because Heather and I were in a loud bar and couldn’t hear ourselves and we got to talking about the episode where Joey, Ross and Chandler try to go out and have fun but they’re exhausted and want to go home. So she said, “We’re in an episode of friends… but they’re THIRTY!” So … tonight I’m boring. But I’m trying to clean out my ancient drafts. 😉