That's what friends are for

We all have them in our lives.

People we admire, love, respect. Friends who have played important roles in your life, even if you don't always remind them of that, or even get together for drinks as often as you should.

Life has a funny way of putting you where you need to be, when you need to be there.

I received an invitation to a party for a friend named Renee. Renee and I used to both be in the teaching business, and then in the yearbook business. She and I have managed to stay in touch, but we're separated by so many miles (25) that I never get to see her, except a couple of times a year.

The people organizing the party were people I had known in various capacities — the fellow teachers and advisers (Peggy, Cindy, etc.) and some yearbook business folk (Tina, Brad). The host was Bobby, a mentor that I am proud to call a friend.

At the party Thursday evening, we ate, laughed, caught up and had a generally great time. And it made me think of the butterfly effect — how a chance encounter or event led me to meet these remarkable people — and what the future holds.

The person I've known there the longest is also one of the few people that I consider a hero. Bobby is a legend in his chosen fields (writing, education and journalism) but he easily could have excelled at anything, from being a record A&R exec to being one of the best-read writers of modern times. Instead, Bobby turned his career early on into working with youth in scholastic journalism, focusing on Texas.

I met Bobby when I was a high school freshman in 1989. He presented me with an award for winning a state contest. He had given a speech before the contest that was laced with dry humor that I found refreshing, especially in a situation so tense (to a 15-year-old). So at the next convention where Bobby was a speaker, I made it a point to attend. And I loved it — so much that I kept going each year, and later when I became a teacher, I would send my students to hear him in whatever standing-room only room he was in.

But in between, when I was in college, Bobby's office was about two blocks from my dorm. Being the geeky fan that I was (am), I would walk into his office without any kind of appointment. Today we would probably consider it stalking. But back then, I guess Bobby sensed that I was harmless enough and that I really just admired everything he did and how he did it. He let the annoying college kid hang out in the office, and even gave the kid some work to do. I imagine it's how an aspiring pianist would feel meeting Elton John — awe and gratitude.

So Thursday was an intense recharging and a long moment of geek — not only was I in Bobby's house (!), I got to see his collections, hear the stories and get to know him just that much better. After 23 years (!), he's even more "real" than a lot of people I know, and full of more wisdom than ever before. Note: When someone who has shaped your life and career offers you the chance to visit their home, do it.

That energy was carried on by others, like Peggy. I met Peggy when my university sent me to her classroom for student teaching. She was one of the top teachers in her field in the state at that time, and I had no idea until i got there. I was grateful for the opportunity, but I was truly taken aback by how honestly friendly she was. She took me under her wing and included me in everything she did. She let me practically run the show with the newspaper staff, and was willing to try new ideas. She was — no — is  a carefree spirit who always manages to have a smile and words of encouragement, despite having been through all sorts of political turmoil related to her doing her job well. She's tough when she needs to be, but always makes time for hugs and laughter. I'm grateful to still call her a friend after 16 years.

Then there's Renee. Renee is maybe a year older than I am, but her spirit is timeless. Since we're about a year apart, we share a lot of experiences. And our careers had striking parallels. We went to the same university, both student taught at the same place, ended up teaching at the same time, and both left to work for the same publishing company. And in the time I got to know Renee, I went from simple friendship to true admiration. She is one of those people you can't help but like — her smile is infectious (ask anyone) and she always has a super-friendly demeanor about her that sometimes belies how smart she is. It's hard to think of someone more with more honest-to-goodness charm than Renee. I was grateful to get the invitation to celebrate her career, because she's someone I hope to maintain a long-term friendship with.

There were others at the party who I look up to (Cindy), who have always been welcoming to me (Sharon, Jeanne, Tina and everyone else) and a few that I don't know as well yet, but hope to some day.

It's not often I blog anymore (as you may have noticed), but being in the presence of all that talent, all that creativity and all that love for each other and passion for their craft... well, I had to find an outlet for it. I can say "thank you" to them individually, but I want it written somewhere that each person I mentioned has played a role in my life and getting me to where I am today. And for that I'm truly grateful.

I sometimes wonder (and get asked) if I'll go back to my old career of being back in the classroom. The truth is, I don't think I could stand it anymore. I do miss working with the students and having our own business, but I don't miss the paperwork, bureaucracy and parental headaches. (That's a separate post.)

I may never go back and sit down behind that Mac again with a group of high school kids, but it doesn't matter, because I've been fortunate enough to meet a series of people who have made it all worthwhile.

Here's to even more decades of continued friendship, and having those guiding forces in my life to help me muddle through.