A TRIBUTE TO SANDIE, MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND
Sandie and I were close friends for most of our childhood. We marched in the band, attended school events, and had many classes together for twelve years. We enjoyed staying at each other's houses on the weekends when we were young. I remember many evenings talking for hours into the early morning about classmates, teachers, and our dreams for the future. Giggles about all things took up most of our time. Shortly after Sandie and I obtained our driver's licenses, Sandie asked if we could spend some time together on a Saturday. She lived about a mile from me and offered to pick me up at my house. We were laughing at something ridiculous when the car suddenly left the pavement. Sandie wasn't experienced enough at driving to recover, so we ended up in a deep ditch alongside Phillips Park, only a few blocks from her house. No one was hurt, but the car was severely damaged and was subsequently towed. I don't remember riding in an automobile with her after that incident, but ...