Catching Up with Missy

I got a note from an old friend from high school some weeks back. Missy and I knew one another through music – we were both in orchestra, as well as choice (Counter Points).

I think the math was something crazy – a few decades since we’d last spoken to one another. She was in town for the weekend on business, and was travelling with her husband, Chuck.

On their way downtown, they were kind enough to stop off in Hyde Park for a quick lunch. We met up at the local Giordano’s near me, and caught up a little bit.

Me and Melissa, post-pizza and about to head back out into the cold.

The two of us got caught up a bit, recapping our lives since NC. A lot of our talk went back to music, and the impact it had on our lives.

As much as I played instruments, I never quite loved violin. I was technically proficient at it, given the early start and continued lessons. But I never loved it, never felt passionate about it.

When we were talking, the one thing I did miss was singing. I missed being a part of something larger. And oddly, while that happens within an orchestra… I didn’t really miss playing an instrument. I missed no longer being part of a choir.

Missy was a very talented vocalist, and ended up with a scholarship to sing/study opera. We talked a lot about the ways that music infused our younger lives, and the unexpected turns that happened as we grew older.

It was a lovely chance to catch up with an old friend. And I had the opportunity to remember a lot about Missy, as well as a lot about myself, in the process. We are both, I think, on the verge of turning 50. It was a nice opportunity to meet our older selves. And in a way, a nice opportunity to remember our younger selves.

Related:
Remembering Jay Featherson
North Central Counterpoints: Jenny Rebecca
Old Friends in Chicago