Phyllis and I reconnected on FB two years ago. I asked her if
her parents ever told her I stopped by the house a long time ago. Thinking
back, it was just after my mom passed away in 1989. Her parents had moved and
lived near my parents' house in West Hills. They never told her! I sat in their
living room having probably the longest conversation I ever had with them in my
life. I know I would have wanted her 411, but for some reason I didn't get it
from them.
In junior high, we were inseparable after meeting each other in West
Valley Youth Band, Jr. For some reason mom decided I needed to be in band. I
remember the day we went down to Canoga School of Music. Out came a glockenspiel
and we brought it home. I didn't question why, it was something I could play
since I had played the piano. I didn't have to taken lessons. Phew! I was
a year ahead of Phyllis, but because we were in both band and orchestra, we saw
each other daily. I was playing the flute (band) and the oboe (orchestra). Not
to mention we shared lockers (with many others) and hung out in the band room
before and after school.
Fast forward to last August, when I was able to
nail down some us time in Seattle, we discovered that we both ended up studying graphics art in college. However, our roads, leading up to that
weekend, were completely different. While I had my share of angst going into
high school, eventually she dropped out. I didn't know that. (Maybe I did back
then, but forgot.) I knew she went to cosmetology school. I remember visiting
her at Montgomery Ward in the mall, where she studied. That must have been in
1978, since I went off to SFSU the next year.
When I visited Phyllis'
parents, I learned she was up in Washington and owned her own hair salon. As
time passed, every once in awhile, I would search the Internet looking for her.
I am so thankful she found me. I'm thankful that "Gysin" is still a
rare last name and if people want to find me on Facebook, they can. (Our last
name was always mispronounced and/or misspelled.)
I knew Phyllis was in
remission when we got together. There was a part of me mourning, but
for our past. I brought our junior high yearbooks (fading rapidly) and my Slam
book. We had so much fun going down memory lane. In the Slam book, she put down
someone else as her BFF. She laughed and said we must have been fighting. Oh,
junior high girls can be cruel. Probably! But our fights ended quickly,
"in a fight in 2nd period, then by fifth period BFFs."
Phyllis
mentioned her favorite band was Chicago. There it was in the Slam book from
1974, her favorite band, Chicago. All these years her love for Chicago never
waned. I appreciate that she re-awakened my love for Chicago. It was a
soundtrack to my growing years. When I went to see them in concert this year, I
was thinking of Phyllis.
Today I think of Phyllis and how much joy she
brought to my growing years. She said I was the same sweet Laurie, she too. She
was a gentle soul. Phyllis, I love you and am thankful our paths crossed in
junior high.
P.S. In 2011. I wrote about Phyllis in a blog entry, click to read more.
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