Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me
Her name was Smith and I was 5 years old. Our families were friends like good Christian families in the South usually are. She was the coolest person I knew for these reasons:
1- She’d watch Mtv with me
2- Her name was Smith, which was amazing to me at 5, that’s my cousin’s last name, how can it be your first.
3- I was as earnest a boy as I am now - she liked that.
We would serenade one another with songs that no one our age knew, and swim in my Nana’s pool until we were prunes. Dry off, eat PB&J, watch Mtv, repeat.
At 5 years old - in 1985 - this ladies and gentlemen was the American dream.
One day my Nana got her pool resurfaced. Not a big deal, but definitely cramping my style - we had a system. A good system. That system required us to swim first, serenade second, and then eat while we watched music videos.
We did just that - unbeknownst to 5 year old us - resurfaced pools are hard on your hands and feet, leaving our finger tips and toes rubbed raw and blistery.
The following series of events happened over a year - but I will tell you it felt like they occurred inside of a 30 second commercial break:
Smith’s mom freaked out
Summer ended
We didn’t hang out anymore
Her family left the church and became Baptists
Mtv debuted MJ’s Thriller
We haven’t spoken since, she married young and quickly had children. One time, at a wedding I’m pretty sure we caught one another’s glance and quickly turned our heads thinking -“no it can’t be!” Just as quickly however, three well coifed kids pulled on her arms and a dashing version of a Ken Doll walked up and they quickly departed.
This is was our song.
