Et Tu?

Dear 30 Year Old Amy,

Do you remember west Texas weekend afternoons in summer, way back in the day, 30 year old Amy?  Oh, sure you do.  The last of the neighborhood yard sales would have succumbed to the heat and closed up shop.  If it was a “going out of business” sale, there was a safe bet where the loot would land: in the dumpsters.

So, what did you do?  Huh, 30 year old Amy?  What did you do?  You waited patiently until all the old people had retired to their screened porches with their iced teas and you hoisted yourself up, over, and then deep inside the belly of your neighbor’s dumpsters, scrounging for treasure.

What’s the matter, 30 year old Amy?  Didn’t want your little friends to know about your absolutely unhygienic childhood past time?

I’m writing you now to let you know that I saw you yesterday.  You try to pretend I’m not here, but I think you know that deep in your core beats the heart of 12 year old Amy.

I know that when you realized that your husband’s most important papers had been inadvertently thrown in the trash, you felt a sick sense of the hunt come over you at the notion of climbing into the dumpster.  You brought your kind friend the maintenance man along and together you both plowed through three dumpsters.

You didn’t find the papers, but you what did you find?  Two boxes of perfectly good VHS cassette tape movies!  Some with the plastic still on them!  And these aren’t low budget kid cartoons, no sir.  These are real deal, super-awesome, grown-up movies that you actually want to see!

I saw how you and that maintenance man smiled and joked about how you “didn’t have too much shame” to go ahead and reclaim these items from their end of the road sentence.

You acted as though you had never done such a thing before.  As though you never even knew me. As though you don’t still own, among your current jewelry rotation, a silver chain you and I found together back when you still acknowledged me.

For shame, 30 year old Amy.  For shame.  Enjoy your movies, traitor.

Hugs and Kisses

12 year old Amy