dialing my past

[jewelp]

I picked up an old address book today, the orange one with the white rabbits and dot flowers on it.  I don't recall where I got it exactly, there is some distant memory of it being given to me by an odd relative and even though not my "style" it was what I had and so I used it.  I was looking for an old much unused number - for my aunt who has lived in the same house for 50 years so i'm sure her number hasn't changed - so i picked up this old and much unused address book.  Inside I found my entire adolescence in more or less chronological order by who I knew at the time.  my best friends from junior high were first and then my very first boyfriend - seeing his name and number stung me because i still don't feel right about what happened, but his name sweet as well because well, he was so sweet.  there are acquaintances from summer jobs who were total friends at the time but not the type to carry on outside of that place and that time. They are intermixed with work numbers and people I babysat for and a few more boyfriends and of course the girl friends  and odd relatives.  As i turned the pages i could see the years pass with the names, from grade school to high school to college. each page with new numbers, names of some who were friends, some passing through from summer jobs, some just acquaintances whose number i needed for something.  Some boyfriends, some potential boyfriends.  Some were my very best friends. and intermixed were the odd numbers, people i baby sat for, places i worked, teacher's numbers and the psychologist i was to call immediately if i felt my friend was going to hurt himself.  i called that number a couple of times.  Some names and numbers were repeated, some crossed out with new numbers, same name.  It was amazing to see in one small book that contained very little information how my circle of friends changed; who was forgotten and who was carried through with numbers and addresses.  Is it weird that i recognized almost every single name in that book and knew exactly when i met them and where i was at the time of my life when i made the entry? Amazing how it all comes flooding back.  and from something as simple as an address book.  The ultimate guide of my life by measured by the who i knew.

incidentally my Aunt's number was not in that book.  It must be in the other one, the blue one with Winnie the Pooh on it.