Flashback Friday comes from Julie Buxbaum’s After You, where the main character Ellie remembers events in her life and the books that correspond.
For me, it has always been about books. I can tell you what I was reading when the Twin Towers fell (White Teeth), or when Lucy crashed her mother’s Buick and broke her nose when she was seventeen (Prince of Tides), or when Greg called to say Sophie had been born, 6lbs, 7oz. (The Accidental Tourist). When in fourth grade, Eric Schwartz passed me a note saying I like you and then asked me to give it to Lucy for him (Sweet Valley High #3, Playing with Fire), and in eighth when Lucy got elected student-body president and I was picked to be delegate (Pet Sematary and Love Story, alternating between the two). When my parents told me they were getting divorced (The World According to Garp) and when Phillip asked me to marry him (Play It As It Lays).
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I’m lucky enough to coach swimming (my favorite sport) at the sister high school to my alma mater. We’ve had big meets all of February. Here are a few crappy cell phone pictures to prove it — bonus if you can guess where I’ve been!
Anyway, the experience has reminded me of when I was a young swimmer myself attempting to pass the time on those extremely long days. My senior year I was working through Le Petit Prince en francais, one of my favorite books to date. I love the innocence and unique perspective the Prince has, especially when he gets sad and watches sunset after sunset on his home planet.
Until next time, friends. Il faut arracher les baobabs.
