Friday Nights

If Dave were still here, I know exactly what we would have done tonight. Because it was what we did every Friday night. We'd eat at the local Mexican food restaurant (where he would skip chips and salsa (not me) to eat vegetarian (again: not me) ). Then, we'd cross the parking lot for a quick swing through Barnes and Noble for my end-of-the-teaching-week mindless pleasure: People magazine. Dave was nothing if not a creature of habit. (Guess I was, too, but it was easy to pin it on him.) The best part? Making it home for our favorite TV show: "Friday Night Lights".

You can imagine how I looked forward to the season premiere of "FNL" tonight. Because I could almost see  him sitting in his chair, leaning forward and enjoying every second of it. The show is filmed in our area, so we'd make a game of identifying the different locations we recognized. He would have especially enjoyed the fact that a few people we know (through degrees of separation) are appearing on the show this season. Dillon, Texas, you have been missed. (And seeing HEB brand foods on the Riggins' dinner table? Nice touch.)

My joy was not even diminished by the yard men showing up at 7:48 pm (hello, Daylight Savings Time!) right as East Dillon's first season game began. With the TV's volume set at 34, I could hear (almost) everything Coach Taylor was saying.  But East Dillion lost. Badly. 

It is early in this season of life, and things will improve. Because time heals wounds and memories. And sometimes we look back and remember even the hard times fondly. And though we miss the way things were,  a changed life still has wonderful surprises ahead. 

And obviously my mind wandered out of Dillon about a paragraph ago. But the hard-earned wisdom I'm sharing is free, and it still applies. 

And I'm glad to know I can go forward with old memories and find them surprisingly happy.