Google is an amazing thing. As the years go by, I often wonder what became of a particular neighbor, an old girlfriend, a coworker, or a past regular customer. Back in my junior year in high school, 1969, I dated a freshman girl from the school across town. She was a little spitfire. Smart, funny, and maybe all of 4’10” of attitude and sass.
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The last time I saw her was October of 1970. Fifty-one years ago. I was riding my motorcycle through town, I got behind a school bus where she happened to be seated in the back of the bus. I glanced up and saw her holding up a piece of paper with the words CALL ME scribbled on it. I never did. I left for a year in Europe two days later.
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Through Facebook and Google, I’ve been able to reconnect with just about everyone from my youth—except for her. No, I’m not a stalker, but I’ve always been curious about whatever became of her. So every so often, I’d try again. Unless they’re dead, and even then, Google can find anyone. Alas, in my case, I had no luck.
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But that day came yesterday. I finally located her. It turns out I’ve been spelling her last name incorrectly all this time (she has both an unusual first and last name). It lists her first name, her family name, her married name… her OTHER married names, her present age, her date of birth, and the city she lives in today. Yep, that’s gotta’ be her.
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I’ve wondered about her and her family a million times over the years, thinking about all the crazy times we had together. Like the time some guy in a Cadillac in the next lane over craned his neck so hard to check her out, he rear-ended the guy in front of him. Or the week we spent up at her parent’s cabin at Lake Tahoe. Or all those Friday nights at the Fillmore in San Francisco, especially the night Janis Joplin came out unannounced and jammed with the Grateful Dead.
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Google also uncovered her current address and phone number, so guess what? I’m’a gonna call her today, just to get caught up. I’ll apologize for not responding to her note from the school bus back in 1970, but you know; at least this way, we’ll both have more to talk about. 😎
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