Let's Get Together posted 10/26/2008 3:46:22 AM | 4 kudos what's this?     report abuse tagged: friendship

Daviator

We met in college. As a matter of fact she was responsible for me becoming a Resident Adviser, one of the most coveted of college jobs. I was cut on the first day of interviews. I made my mind up to feel sorry for myself for the day and then move on with my life. I ran into her later in the week. She was crying and I asked what was wrong. She took it as a sign of compassion. For me, it was trying to connect with a hottie. At the end of the week of interviews, they were still one RA short and she mentioned my caring and support to the Head Resident. He decided to re-interview me and, as a result, I got the job. It was all due to Hollie.

We were RA’s on opposite dorm wings and we were incredibly close. I had a crush on her, even if I didn’t know enough to admit it. We loved playing practical jokes on each other. And neither was above getting our wings involved. She once had her entire wing prank call my wing at midnight. In retaliation, we blocked the inner doors and triggered the outer door alarms at midnight, giving her wing no way to turn off the alarms. It seems childish now, but, at the time it seemed like the funniest thing in the world. Back in the old days when telephones had springs, I removed the one in her phone so when someone called, the phone would ring but there was no way to answer it. She picked up the receiver and it just rang and rang. In retaliation, she poured fruit punch in my chair in the dining hall. True to form, I didn’t look and sat square in it, causing people to remark about the “RA who wet his pants.”

After college, Hollie announced she was getting married and I must admit to feeling a little jealous of her husband to be. What was even more shocking, was Hollie announcing shortly thereafter that she had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. We kept in touch throughout the years. She went from walking to crutches to a wheelchair and back. And never once did she ever feel sorry for herself. As a matter of fact, she was busier than I ever was. She was a journalist and always wrote. She was also an advocate for the disabled. She spearheaded several projects not the least of which was the construction of a pier for wheelchair access to a local lake. She also was responsible for a wheelchair path through one of the local parks. She said she did it so as to “open up a whole world for people that couldn’t go out there before.” Whenever we got together, she would go out of her way to make me feel like I had done something with my life, that I was the most important person in the world.

She was a real inspiration to me and so, when I was approached by someone from her home town, I suggested we give her a call and see if they knew each other. Her husband answered the phone and couldn’t quite place me. That was understandable as it has been years since last we talked. He finally figured out who I was and said he was sorry but Hollie had passed away a year-and-a-half ago. Apparently she contracted staph, an infection that had entered her bloodstream. And, once in the blood, there was nothing anyone could do. In ten days, she was gone. She wrote until almost the very end. A year-and-a-half…and I had absolutely no idea.

It’s important to keep in touch. I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. I know it too. Just didn’t think that life would have to teach me yet again, how very important it is to let the people I care about know how much I care about them…before that chance is gone forever.

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Blogs by Daviator: Let's Get Together A Trip in Time Saves Mine The Summer of Love Stars and Stripes Forever Jog My Memory – Why Am I Doing This?! On The Nose! Saving Ryan's Privates I Hate This Dog (Part II) I Hate This Dog (Part I) The End Is The Beginning?