Amy.

Questioning whether or not to just write an ordinary introduction that doesn't reference the awkward fact I have not written a blog post for what 3 years now... or to keep making the same joke that all my draft posts have about how it's so shocking I am actually writing a post. Which it is. And I guess by the fact I have written this paragraph in such a way I think we already have the answer. So welcome back. I'm sure none of you missed me. Let's crack on. 

As you can see from the title I am dedicating this post to Amy, a fellow blogger, who was my inspiration to starting my own blog, at a point where most people in my friend group had one. It was great fun reading all they had to offer, copying their topic ideas/tag posts. Slowly but surely my reading list became less and less as I guess they all just moved on from the blog. Which I also kind of did. But having a child makes a lot of changes to your life. But Amy on the other hand has almost stuck with it. Which is very admirable. And it is the reading of her blog that on two occasions now I have wanted to restart my blog. But that isn't the only reason I am going to dedicate this post in her honour. 

Quick Sidenote before the quick story time: The first section of this blog post I had actually drafted in.. let's check ..oh my god 2020 so if it is confusing, it probably is because it is. But as my friend pillowcat from one of my daughter's favourite shows would say: let's roll with it. 

Quick story time: As it is Halloween, my friends and I went to pick pumpkins. As it is during a global pandemic we thought it would be safe to pick the pumpkins in the field together like we have done in previous, but best leave the carving separately as to not put each other at risk. So it was a couple of days ago I had carved my pumpkin and was asking how everyone else was doing and suggested we should have a group call to discuss it all yaddayadda. This call we had last night. And a considerable amount of the call was just Amy and myself, because everyone else had other things in their life to get on with. And amongst many things we discussed blogs was one of them. And we recalled the time I would write a post every day, I spoke about how I do have draft posts that I adapt and then can never be bothered to finish, and we also mentioned how one time I just wrote a post about my friend Emma because Emma had requested it. So since that conversation I kind of wanted to get back into blogging, and I thought instead of finishing one of those draft posts that I am clearly never going to finish I thought. Amy. 

Now to the actual topic of conversation:

I can't recall the exact moment I met Amy. Around year 8 my group of friends just became group of friends joining together with many groups of friends and we were all just friends. We didn't have many classes together in school, so most of the time was just talking at break times, and the meet ups when school wasn't happening. I think in year 10 when we sat on the same table in English our friendship grew a lot. I remember the weird posters we made, and laughing at Beth's response to Sherlock not being dead. And I think a lot of our main bonding would come from the almighty "late bus", which was a bus that picked you up from the school and took you home like an hour after school had finished if you stayed behind for a club or do homework or had a secret 6th lesson because you were in 6th form. The bus at first was a people movers bus, which I loved because it moved people, and we would talk about random stuff. Mainly the craziness that happened in the show Waterloo Road. It went so far that in 6th form we referred to ourselves (and those that joined us) as the "Late Bus Gang" and even went so far as to start describing a movie we were going to make about our lives. I still wonder what the bus driver Andrew thought about our weirdness nearly every day. As Amy would say "Good Times". 

I remember Amy also provided a lot of entertainment through her job at BK. She was the queen. Our friends would all sit in the food court and watch her as if she was hanging out with us. I also weirdly remember how one of her co-workers gave us his number and one of my friends unfortunately believed he was going to ask her out... Amy working there was also good as she tried to be very generous to us. So whenever I went to see her and ask for a small drink, she would give me a large. Despite the fact I only wanted a small because I didn't want to drink a lot as it would make me need the toilet on the way home. But I just loved how she was so kind to her friends in this way. 

Amy unfortunately moved on (well unfortunate for them) and went on to the big scary world of full time employment. Which a lot of us did in fairness. And we didn't talk as much, but would still make the effort to meet up when we can. Amy and I have the same kind of system where we feel we don't have to talk everyday, as we would rather have like a big catch up in person every now and then. I would love going places with Amy as she was always so fun and positive. We often went to Pizza Hut for her birthday and it was always good. Going to a club with her is always an experience, and watching her being one of the last on a dance floor is an inspiration. It's a shame that our lives got a bit busy to do things like that. 

But what is really important is that even though we don't talk everyday (or even weeks for that matter) I know that when I do need her she will be there for me, and she will always try to make some time to see me. 

I believe everyone needs a friend like Amy. One who is not afraid to dance like nobody is watching.

One who is not afraid to do the thing that might make her seem "ditzy" like when she decided pour an overflowing cup of water into a cup of the same size. One who is open and honest when things aren't going well because we all need reminders that we are just human. One who is dependable to be a shoulder to cry on. One who cares. One who works hard. One who inspires. 

So I just want to thank Amy for being my friend for the last Decade or so, and for continuing to involve me in some amazing parts of her life. I cannot wait to see how this amazing person continues to grow. 

I'll see you when I see you.