Remembering Who You Are, Part 11

Of all the people I've reconnected with on facebook, this next friend was one of the ones I was most excited about finding.

David Donovan "In my dorm room at BC talking about our futures and me considering becoming a priest...Father Dave...ugh...but would make a great TV sitcom" July 16 at 8:33am

If you ask me how Dave and I actually met, I don't know that I could tell you. I just remember him suddenly being there in my life. We would have lunch together almost every day, he would let me crash in his dorm room between classes, so I could read, or study, or just simply take a break, and he would lend me his meal card towards the end of term when mine was nearly out, and he had plenty of dollars left on his. Dave lived just the next town over from campus, and was getting a free ride, as his father was the campus physician for 20 years. But, his parents still paid room and board for him to live there, however, he went home a lot on weekends. And Dave and I were always friends; if there was any attraction on his part, he never showed it. This memory he posted was a great one, as I remember this conversation, too. There are so many other wonderful memories of Dave in my head, too.

Dave is solely responsible for my finally understanding and loving football. I was one of those alterna-chicks in high school and decried all sports, so I found it highly ironic that I ended up at BC, a school identified with college sports as much as anything. He was incredulous that I had never gone to a football game, as he lived and breathed the game. He played in high school, grew up watching BC football, and followed many teams regularly. So one day, he and I buy student tickets, and he sits me in the stands and narrated every single play, every single penalty, and every single rule. He was incredible, and from that moment on, from that private tutorial from such a huge fan, I began to love the game, too.

One Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, Dave had a small party in his dorm room for his high school friends who were home for the weekend, and for some reason, he invited me to come hang with them. At one point in the evening, I realized that I was phenomenally drunk, AND the only girl in the room. We were playing either Questions or I Never Ever, and suddenly, he didn't like the turn the game was taking, and he shut down one of his friends with a blistering look, and parked himself right next to me. He also determined that I was not driving home that evening. So, I called home at one or two in the morning to tell my father to tell Mom I would be home in time for dinner (yeah, THAT was a fun entrance home). Dave then promptly put me in his bed, and put himself in the chair next to it, like my own private watch dog.

I remember a weekend down at his best friend Chris's family home in Hull. We got pizzas, and a movie, and beers, and the three of us hung out under a giant quilt on the couch all weekend, drinking and laughing and watching old movies, while a storm raged outside. Another party at his parents' house, the last night it was in the family, as they were closing on the sale the next day. The house was empty of all furniture, and Dave decided to have one last bender. I have pictures from this party, actually. I went to the liquor store and loaded a shopping cart full of beer, and drove over there, and we were up until the wee hours of the morning. We all fell asleep in great heaps on the floor. Dave and I were awake earlier than everyone else, and I don't remember what exactly we talked about, but we had another one of our famous conversations that morning. Van Morrison's "Moondance" album featured prominently that night.

Dave, quite simply, is one of the best people I've ever met in my entire life, and unfortunately, we drifted away after I graduated BC and got married soon afterward. But, he always lingered in my head, and I wondered what had happened to him. So I was thrilled to find him on facebook, and equally thrilled to learn he remembered our days there together as fondly, and as vividly, as I did. He's married now, with a stepson, and a daughter of his own, and I could not be happier for him. So Dave, thank you, so much, for being such a strong part of my time at BC, and for being one of my favorite memories. It's good to talk to you again.