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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Spencer from French

A few years ago in my French 201 class I met this kid named Spencer. He was funny and nice and a little bit different from what I would have expected. In French, every other second we pair up to talk aka practice our French, and he was always my partner because somehow we always sat next to each other. I liked him, thought he was pretty cool, and was pretty good at French too.

Then he stopped coming to class for a week, which is a big deal because in this four credit class, we were there every day. I got kinda a bit worried about him, but I didn't have his number to shoot him an are-you-okay-or-what's-up text. When he came back, I asked him where he had been (I asked him in French of course ;). He told me had gotten very sick and had been in the hospital all last week. Glad he was better, we got back to talking in French. Until he stopped coming again.

Was he okay? At the hospital again? Why didn't I ever get his number? It would have been perfectly reasonable to think that maybe he withdrew from the class. I mean, he had missed over a week, and French 201 is no springtime picnic. I hoped that had been the case, but I couldn't help but worry that something worse had happened. I hoped he was okay, but also realized that if he had passed away, I would not have even known. I would keep on living my life the same if he had dropped the class or if he had died. The thought bothered me, and I worried.

That was about two years ago. #tbt2011

The other day I was walking on campus, just thinking about nothing, maybe humming, and I saw Spencer. He was just walking out of a building, like he probably did every day, with his backpack over his shoulder and a beanie on his head like he always did way back in French class. I smiled so big at him, you probably wouldn't have been able to get the sunshine off my face. Of course, he didn't really remember me, so he gave me kind of a funny look, like "why are you so happy? I mean it is cool that you are happy, but you just look really happy and you are staring right at me." I was really happy. Just that feeling you get when you realize that someone you thought might have possibly been dead is alive, well, and breathing.

This slice of life had a cherry on top.


10 comments:

  1. MICHAELANNE I THINK I KNOW SPENCER. we had new testament together last semester and he was a little strange but super nice and he definitely served his mission in FRANCE.
    what a small world.
    love your face.

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  2. You are so good at remembering people and their stories.

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  3. You are so good at remembering people and their stories. Let's be friends forever, okay?

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  4. I'm wondering if Spencer from French and you will be friends or if you will remain just happy he's alive. i loved this piece.

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  5. I love how you were able to add the details that would make us understand your friendship. I'm glad you were able to see him again.

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  6. This is my favorite slice so far. Ha, that's way cool except I wish you had talked to him and I also wish I could have seen his face when you super smiled at him.

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  7. awesome - I feel like you should get married or something...

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  8. i love how happy you were! (and i love that you write a blog, i love blogs, apparently i love the word love too.)

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  9. Haha! You crack me up! Did you talk to him during this final meeting or finally get his number?

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