Bob Smiley Live!!

I just spent an evening laughing at an old friend. But as I wrote on Facebook, it's okay; he's a comedian so he was happy we were laughing!!! I went to high school with Bob Smiley, and even back then, he was hysterical. He & his brother and me & my best friend were inseparable back in the day. Tonight brought back so many fond memories of church and high school--back then my biggest problem was would my lunch money stretch till Friday and would Dad give me money to go to Braum's after church on Sunday? I don't mean to belittle the teen years, but at least in my case, I had it really good. I had loyal friends and family. My family was always there for me; my best friend would no sooner have betrayed me than she would've stopped breathing. She just couldn't do it.

And Bob & Brian--well, they taught me that guys & girls could be friends--best friends. They made me feel beautiful, special, funny, and important. And yet, I was always safe with them. I knew they wouldn't make a pass at me--or expect me to go drinking with them or try drugs or anything like that. We had the much cliched "good clean fun." And oh my, did we have fun! We always did church activities together, but we also supported each other at sporting events and we could all be counted on to be a prom date in a pinch! A prom date with no strings. I had a prom date once who expected/hoped I'd go up to a cabin afterwards and.....who knows what he hoped. Bob & Brian simply expected us to have fun and be ourselves. There was no pretending and no stress.

I guess this is all in my head:
1. Because I saw Bob's show tonight http://www.bobsmiley.com/
2. Because Shawn & I are getting ready to help teach a class on Sex & Dating to our high schoolers at church so male/female relationships are at the forefront of my thinking right now

So consider this a giant thank you to God for taking care of me in those vulnerable years and giving me people who loved me and looked out for me!!!