Life is a crazy game we all play, willingly or not. Unfortunately for all of you, I was dragged through a particularly rough patch that kept me from sharing with you for quite some time. I mentioned Makenzie Lilley at the end of my last post so, it's only right that I pick back up at the onset of that attraction. I apologize for the hiatus, and will now get back on track.
My seventh grade year had begun to progress pretty normally. I was doing well in my classes and meeting new people, but something was different. I was thinking a lot more about girls. Most of my guy friends were dating girls that I knew, so the intrigue was pretty constant for me. I couldn't escape the allure of the opposite sex. It was all around me. In band, at the basketball games even in boring classes. My attention was particularly drawn to Makenzie (Kenzie for short).
She was a very athletic brunette that I had known for a few years. We went to Lincoln Elementary together and were in Mrs. Alvis's class for a few weeks. I hadn't paid too much extra attention to her other than to note that it was good to pick her for kickball. She was not afraid of the ball, so she was an excellent asset to have. She was pretty funny and definitely intelligent and she laughed at my jokes, so that's always a plus.
Now that we were older though, I had started to think about other things. We mostly interacted at sporting functions, but she noticed that I had started to come pretty religiously. I was not a shy fan by any means. Whether it was Basketball or Softball, she dominated both, I was very vocal in my support. After one of her basketball games, she came over to me and thanked me for coming and then something interesting happened.
She asked me how I thought she played. Most people would've just said she had done well, but not me. I was raised by my amazing parents to think critically. I told her something like she needed to drive the lane more and put more arc on her deep shots. I think she probably thought that I was a prick at first, but once she realized that it was innocent criticism from a kind hearted fellow, she warmed up a little bit. That was the beginning of our multiple year friendship.
We eventually moved into talking about things other than sports, as we grew more comfortable with each other. I've always had a knack for giving people advice when they got into sticky situations, and I loved to help my friends, so naturally, if she was ever in any sort of conundrum, I was the one she talked to. It was a great friendship. Mostly though, we would chat about sports and the like. She was a diehard North Carolina basketball fan (UNC), but I didn't hold that against her.
As the year rolled on, we grew closer and learned more about each other. She was a sweet girl who loved her family and dedicated herself fully to whatever she did. We were very similar in those respects. I liked being around her and I like to think she enjoyed my company. I told her about my soccer life and how much I loved that (I may have inflated my skills a tiny bit in an attempt to impress her) and she genuinely took interest in tracking our progress as well.
What I'm really trying to say is, we were great friends that just...clicked. I don't know what it was about us, but we just worked. It was a very natural friendship, and one that I relish to this day. Those certainly, were more innocent times, but every time we were together somewhere, it was just a fun time to be me. There was no tension or confusion, just two people who enjoyed each other's company.
In the next installment (I promise will come in a much more prompt fashion) I hope to finish up seventh grade and delve into my eighth grade year. This is a big one, because I meet one of the most influential people in my life. Stay tuned!
Today's Note: Take time to really appreciate the people in your life, current and past. Not just a surface appreciation, but really think about the impact they had on your life. Perhaps you'll stumble upon someone who really deserves a bit of thanks from you.
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