New York City Part III: Madison Ave Ruminations

New York City Part III: Madison Ave Ruminations This is the third and final part of my series about my New York Trip. Quick synopsis: Part I: Go see South Pacific. Part II: Annie's closed. And now onto part three. For some reason, I don't know why exactly, I always do my best thinking walking along Madison & 5th Ave. It is eerie. Thoughts that I never would have thought, seem to come into play on those two avenues. If I ever contemplated being an author, I seriously would need to write the book while walking up and down Madison and 5th. I do not know why it happens exactly, but it has been happening for years. And the worst is when I get back and WANT to write it all down, it never has the effect that I want it to. Anyway, on my walk along Madison, I was thinking of one of my favorite books, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I actuallly like the first three books the best, but that is a whole 'nother topic, for a different day. And even though my favorite character throughout the series is Bee (typically I skip to her highlighted section while re-reading it), one of my favorite quotes/sections is said by Tibby. I don't have the books right next to me, so I don't know in which of the four books she said it, so I am paraphasing. She pretty much states how lucky she was to be born with 3 ready made friends, because she sucks at making new friends. In some ways, I completely emphasize. For the most part growing up, my best friends were literally from birth. Or preschool. When it was super easy to make friends. Or they were my parents friends children, so we kinda had to get a long. And through elem. school it was the same thing, I really was terrible at making my own friends. I never needed to. I had birthday parties to go to and things to be planned, because most of them my parents were friends with their parents. And the ones that weren't? I was friends with them since birth. And then ones that I didn't know since birth or were friends of the family? Yeah, I kinda boworred my friends' friends. If that makes any sense at all. Individually we weren't friends, but because we had someone in common, we became friendly. Unfortunately because my best friend was a year older, most of these girls were a year or two older then me. And then disaster struck. Seventh grade. This would be the year that I realized how really terrible I was at making friends. Actually, I wasn't that bad, just really, really out of practice. For someone that had built in friends her whole life, it was hard to stand on my own. Most of my friends were in different schools. My best friend was in a different school in another part of the state-and well...the friends that I "borrowed" from her, well we didn't have that much in common anymore. Lets just say it was a rude awakening. *grins* Then came 8th grade where I went to a different school, and it was better. I didn't complete suck at making friends for the most part. But I still held tightly the connections of my childhood friends. Even in high school. Many of the friends I made were because of mutual friends. The interesting thing is despite all this, I loved going away during the summer, and some of my best friends, I made during camp and those trips. I think it kinda leveled the playing field-almost like freshman year at college. Everyone needed to make friends, so it was easier. We were all in the same boat I guess. Now I regret my friends that I do have-are for the most part so spread out that it is a rarity to see them. I treasure every minute we are together though. And to think I thought this on Madison Ave...