"Friends Wanted"

Back home, I became friends with a girl who, once we started hanging out, stuck to me like glue.  I'm not great with the friends thing.  I mean, I'm friendy-LY, but I don't take on many friends at all.  

But this girl was persistent, to say the least.


We'll call her GiGi.

GiGi had just moved into the neighborhood from Germany.  She and her hubby were military.  She was of Italian and Germany decent and this was her first time away from home.  She has a 3rd grader, who was in my son's class and a toddler that was just starting to walk.  We met at my neighbor's house, they were having a birthday party or some kinda get together... don't really remember.

When I first saw her, I remember thinking how pretty she was.  I also remember wondering if my husband was checking her out.  She must have really been beautiful because not many people can make me insecure!  


Later, I invited her to Miss Missy's birthday party.  Miss Missy was turning 4 and she had daughters, soooo....


Well, after that, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't hear from her.  Our husbands deployed around the same time.  I think GiGi, well I know GiGi became pretty lonely.  She didn't let me forget that she needed something to do... everyday of the week.   


See, for me, deployment wasn't a devastating thing.  I was okay with being by myself.  I was okay with just spending my days to myself and spending my evenings with my kids.  GiGi... not so much.  

The phone calls came everyday like clockwork.  


"Kay, what are you doing today? Can I come over?"


"Kay, what are you doing today?  Wanna go to the mall?"


"Kay, what are you doing today?  Wanna take the kids to Monkey Joes?  Chuck E. Cheese?  Bowling?  The Movies?"


It became expensive to me GiGi's friend.  While I liked the girl, she was impeding on my ME time!

I continued to hang with her because, like I said, she was a sweet girl and we had a lot of laughs together.  I knew that she was lonely.  She didn't know how to be without her husband.  She was her whole world and the idea of not having him there and actually having to "be a mom" scared her to death!  

GiGi was a diva, much like herself.  

You know, the so-not-a-minivan-girl type.  

The heels-to-a-football-practice type. 

The never-to-be-caught-without-lip-gloss type.  

The makeup-at-the-gym wearing type.

She was one that I enjoyed having run in my circle.


But OMG was she clingy!  It got so bad that I had to start forwarding her to voicemail.  Making up excuses.  Finding other things to do.


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Now, I understand how she felt as I long for female companionship more than I ever have before.  In Grooveytown, I may not have hung out with friends a lot, but they were there when I wanted to.


Here, and I know this sounds pathetic, but I find myself looking at women, sizing them up for potential girlfriends.  I find myself wanting someone to hang out with, who laughs at the same things I laugh at and likes the same things that I like.  


I know how she felt now that I'm in her shoes.  I'm not the stalker, constant phone calls, buggaboo type, but I can understand longing for a friendship.


Now, I feel a little pathetic....