It's a Small, Small World

You know those times when you hear a story, and it just makes you say, "Wow. It's a small world."

Maybe you just abbreviate and say, "Small world."

Maybe you're a skeptic and abbreviate further to say, "Spooky."

Or maybe all you can get out after the magnitude of the story is a head nod and wide eyes.

Whatever type of person you are, do you know what I'm talking about? Hopefully you do, because I'm going to share my 'small world' story about my friend Sammie and me. You may have heard it, but if you haven't . . . it's a good story.

Once upon a time, I was a very shy 4 yr old who lived in Atlanta, Georgia. I was at church one day and there happened to be a new family there with a rambunctious 5 yr old daughter. My parents were trying to reach out to visitors, so my mom waited till after the church service and then went to invite the new family over to our house for lunch. She's having a nice conversation with the mom when she notices me out of the corner of her eye. I'm talking with the 5 yr old. And I'm not just talking, I'm talking. I mean, hand gestures, giggles, raised voice, and funny intonations. To fully realize the shock that this gave my mother you would have to realize that I was very very shy as a little kid. I hated talking to people. HATED it. I almost dreaded church because of all the people there. My mom actually told me later that she feared I would be anti-social and never learn to converse easily with people.

Anyways, back to my conversation with the 5 yr old Sammie. As soon as my mom saw the interaction, she knew that she had to get me around this girl more. And boy, did she ever. Maybe it's just my lack of time-actuality as a kid, but I seem to remember being over at Sammie's house or vice versa at least once a week. I loved Sammie. She could get me to do the craziest things, and she was so loud and happy all the time, and she had an amazing imagination. I would have lived with Sammie. Would've packed up my glow-in-the-dark bunny and camped out underneath her bed.

Then I finished 1st grade, and my parents broke the news to me . . . we were moving.

I was devastated. I remember crying myself to sleep several nights in a row. Even the most fun thing ever, staying 3 days at Sammie's house, was marred by the fact that my parents were only letting me stay there while they looked for a house in Missouri. Where in the fat world was Missouri anyway?!

The day came for us to leave. Sammie's family came to help us pack, along with several other families in the church. We had so much fun trying to pick the lock of the moving truck, and hitchhiking in front of my house, and eating a lot of pizza. And then we left. And I cried. And held my glow-in-the-dark bunny. Seven was too young to have to leave my best friend.

I saw Sammie again though. Her family actually moved to Virginia a month or two after we left, so my mom and I flew out for a day trip to visit. So much fun. And once, that next year, they stopped by our house for a few hours on their way to grandparents in Iowa. But after that, we lost contact. I didn't hear from Sammie for 8 years.

Fast forward 8 years... I'm a sophomore in high school at Bob Jones for AACS National competition.

We had done well in handbells at competition. I was 16. I loved my friends, my school, and I had learned how to talk to just about anyone. Now I was sitting with my school for the final awards ceremony. They were announcing flute solo winners. A girl's named flashed up who I knew and I leaned over to my friend beside and whispered, "oh hey, I know her." Then came violin solo winners. 3rd place, 2nd place . . . then they came to 1st place. And I saw Sammie's name appear on the screen. My Sammie. My best friend from childhood. The person I still told stories about. And she was right there walking on the stage. I wanted to leap out of my chair and run up to her or yell out her name or, or Something!!! But I couldn't. Because we were in an awards ceremony and decorum dictated that I do and say nothing except for clap. So I clapped. Really hard. And then she walked 4 rows in front of me. I couldn't say anything. I thought I would bust. I saw where she went to sit and I marked that spot. As soon as the ceremony was over, I was going to run there.

Just then, my handbell director leaned down the row and whispered, "We're going to take pictures immediately after this."

What?! NO!!

I leaned back down and whispered, "There's someone here who I haven't seen in 8 years. Could I go see her first? Please?"

She said no and I ended up not seeing Sammie. I wish I knew what happened to her.





Kidding! She said I could go. As soon as the amen of the last prayer was uttered, I was running over to Sammie's section. I found her parents and they were excited to see me, asking if Sammie had seen me yet. When they found out that she hadn't, they led me that way, keeping me behind them. Then her dad said, 'Hey Sammie, we have a surprise for you!"

She turned around as they stepped away, so I was visible. She didn't even pause for a second. She immediately attacked me with a hug and a scream.

It was the best. I was so happy that night. My parents got phone messages from both of us later that night, as we breathlessly half-screamed into the phone that we had seen each other.

Sometimes I meet people who I use to be close to, but we've both grown and changed, and so we don't have anything in common anymore. But not Sammie. After Nationals, we exchanged phone numbers and called each other at random intervals. We met up at Nationals for the next 2 years. And then we both ended up at the same college, in the same dorm, on the same hall. I lost my best friend as a kid, but I found her so she could be one of my best friends in college. And you know what they say... the friends you make in college will stick with you for the rest of your life.

The End.