The reading

Last night I stood behind a microphone for the first time since college. As I heard my voice filtering back through the speakers, I became instantly reconnected to my younger self.

The girl who won first in my state high school speech contest. The girl who went to college on a debate scholarship. The girl who declared herself an English major and thought she might head to law school. The magic of having everything ahead and nothing behind.

At the end of it, I felt her slipping away again. It was like running into an old friend at the airport. Surprise, utter joy, a brief exchange, a promise to reconnect, a hasty goodbye, then a twinge of sadness.

Still, it was so great to run into her.