Shared Laughter

What better antidote for stressful workdays than a day with a friend who makes you laugh? And I am not talking about a few giggles...I am talking laughing until your sides hurt.
I spent yesterday shopping with my friend Cassandra. We have known each other since high school. It is a bit of a long story, but I actually lived with her and her family for awhile. I was a quasi-exchange student attending a high school in another district about an hour and a half away from my dinky hometown. I was REALLY into theater in high school, and our county dropped its drama program, and I transferred schools.
Now, seeing as I have not become that famous actress I once planned on being, the best thing that came out of that whole arrangement was my friendship with Cassandra. Her whole family is hilarious. Cassandra and I lost touch for awhile, but once we picked back up, it was like we had never stopped talking.
Anyway, I thought several times yesterday when we were together that we regress a bit (in the best way) when we are together--we are right back in high school---finding the smallest things SO funny. I turn into a complete goofball, and we laugh nonstop. It is just too much fun. We have so many inside jokes that I am sure if anyone else was with us, we would drive them crazy.
I think my favorite moment yesterday was when, early in the shopping day, Cassandra got in line at Old Navy. We were at the Concord Mills Outlet Mall. Being a shopping veteran there, I know if you are planning on shopping for a long day there, you are going to need a cart. Suddenly, outside the store, I saw that someone had abandoned a very large blue shopping cart. I went to grab it and came rushing back in the store, very proud. Cassandra immediately said, "that's great-- why don't you wait for me outside the store with that?"

Now, let me pause here to tell you that embarrassing Cassandra is one of my most favorite things to do.

I did walk out of the store, but I was NOT going to let that little comment go. So, having brought my camera, I stood outside of the Old Navy glass window behind the cash registers and started zooming in on her when she got to the register, I let the flash pop, and started taking pictures. It got A LOT of attention. More than my big blue cart would have, I might add. I was laughing so hard, I could hardly hold the camera.
When she came out of the store, avoiding me for as long as possible, she was laughing, telling me that the cashier actually asked her. "Are you somebody?" (they thought she was famous--and that I was a "fan" taking a picture). I will laugh about that for weeks. (She was later very grateful for the big blue cart, by the way).
The possum pic would take too long to explain, but that is also an inside joke. The other picture was us enjoying lots of alcohol...I mean yummy Mexican food.
Last night after we got home I wondered how I survived through the times we were out of touch, because now there would be such a hole in my life without this friendship that brings me so much laughter and comfort.


-Kim >^..^<