A bff, a bestie new lingo for “Us.” The long ago’s and far away’s but always close at heart ring true for us. We’ve been walking the path of life together since 7th grade. Holy mackerel Andy. Yes, back in the days of Amos, Andy and Calhoun. Who else remembers Calhoun? So, we sat down and shared a table one of 100,000 others, no exaggerations, we’ve shared before. 53 years later makes us manage more years than we can count, albeit, we can count on them. One night, many years back we got sandwiches and mozied over to the now closed Ziegfield movie theater. We got tickets to sit for 227 minutes watching Lawrence of Arabia. We got more sushes as we chatted through a long desert scene. Interesting note there were there no speaking parts for the women in the entire movie.

Fast forward or my run ons could run away- to Wednesday night together. When our Via car dropped us off right on the corner of the Gotham Comedy Club the evening began. We know each other’s innuendos and have watched each other’s clocks tick through biology long enough to never have to fill in the blanks. We got our table, order the first of our two drink minimum and told each other how good we look. We were there to watch a Ladies of Laughter Competition. The contestants spanned every age we have shared together. The topics they addressed were timely for their stage at the moment. We listened and laughed as the funny ladies addressed the joys and disappointments of dating, raising teenagers and the color of braces. We heard complaints about messy husbands and the woes of being teachers. Bruce Jenner was top of mind and everyone applauded his choice to become one of “us.” The older contestants went on about spanx and silencing cell phones when you can’t find the off switch. So we laughed or didn’t during the night. Nonetheless one more evening added to the encyclopedia of “Us.”

“But we’ll meet the year we’re sixty-two- And travel the world as old friends do- And tell each other what we’ve been. Our love is rare, life is strange. Nothing lasts, people change- Old friend.” Lyrics by Michael Feinstein. So we laughed or didn’t- embraced our history and paid for our two drink minimum. We are experiencing the glow of the aftermath of our race won. Starting the day with kindness.