This is where I used to live
"What have you been up to for the last 29 years?"
Recently, my good friend Calvin and I got weekend passes from our families to go take a guys' trip somewhere. Calvin suggested Breckenridge, Colorado. I used to live in Breckenridge. 214 Morning Star Drive, to be exact. My family moved away in 1976 after being there since '68 or '69 (I was two or three). I moved to Pullman Washington, Missoula Montana, Helena Montana, Los Angeles California, Phoenix Arizona and now live in Austin Texas. In all that time, I went back to Breckenridge only once (in 1993 or so).
In a very real sense, I started in Breckenridge. I do not remember any of my time before Colorado. I may remember part of the move to Breckenridge. I definitely remember unpacking the Mayflower moving van in the driveway at Breck. My earliest - my first - memories are in, of, and around Breckenridge.
Someone remodeled my old home. The original lines are still visible, but the new addition seems to have more-than-doubled the size of the house. My bedroom seems to have been remodeled out of existence, but some of the trees I climbed are still there. I learned to ski in the driveway. A forest grew in the backyard. Now, a subdivision grows.
Tailings from the old mining/dredging operation covered downtown Breckendridge. The town cleaned up those tailings - Calvin and I stayed in a condo right where some of them used to be. Breckenridge, the Ski Resort, modernized itself over the past 29 years. When I moved there, only one ski slope (Peak 8) was open. Peak 9 opened when I was there and after I left, the resort added Peaks 7 and 10. Downtown replaced its wooden sidewalks with concrete. Most roads are now paved. The town has changed. There are, however, vestiges of my Breckenridge to be found.
The church where I was an alterboy still stands as a historical reminder of the town's past (the congregation meets next door in a newer structure now). My elementary school houses classrooms as it did before (with a much updated playground). Carter Park, where I remember sledding down the hill and where the town held (and probably still holds) its 4th of July Celebration, is there. I remember many of the old houses and storefronts and twists in the roads. Walking around Breck on Saturday, a thought struck me. At 39, the distance from my old house to the elementary school is not very large. At 5, that trek spanned most of my world.
The town changed. The people changed, too. Calvin and I (coincidentally) visited during Oktoberfest. That celebration likely skewed the average "Breckenridgian" that I saw, but Breck is not the sleepy ski town from 30 years ago. Fortunately - amazingly, actually - much more than mere vestiges of the people I remember are there.
I started in Breckenridge. My best friend from Breckenridge is my first best friend. My sweetheart from Breckenridge is my first sweetheart. My friends from Breckenridge are my first friends. The lessons I learned about friendship while in Breckenridge are my first lessons in friendship; those lessons resonate in my relationships today. Whenever I think of Breckenridge, I think of my friendships there.
There is no mystery why I think of Ben Brewer, Kristie Nicholls and Erin McGinnis when I think of Breckenridge - at age 5, they spanned my world. Ben was my best friend, Kristie was my sweetie, Erin was Kristie's best friend, Ben's sweetie and a good friend of mine. We were thick as thieves. My circle of friends was larger than the four of us and it certainly expanded or changed shape in the seven years I lived there, but Ben, Kristie and Erin - I recall them most frequently and most fondly.
I left Breckenridge in the summer after the third grade. Consequentially, my memories of my friends are a third-grader's memories - full of childhood innocence and optimism. When I left, those memories, those experiences, were frozen in time and not quite indelibly etched in my mind. A lot can happen in 29 years and a lot did happen to me. Newer best friends in Pullman, Missoula, Helena, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin... Newer sweeties culminating in my ultimate sweetie. Growing up, growing older. The cumulative memories have naturally taken the polish off of those of Breckenridge. I have absolutely no regrets - I am very happy where I am and with how I got here. Still, my memories of that time have faded.
As Calvin and I walked around Breckenridge, I came across a phone book (outside my elementary school). I was pretty sure that Ben's mom still lived in town so I looked her up. I saw the first entry under "Brewer" - Ben and Robyn - and quickly thought "no, it can't be him". I called Kate (Ben's mom) and left her a message. 30 minutes later, I got a call back.
"This is Brent"
"Heh, heh, heh. 'Brent Schneeman.' Hi Brent, this is Ben. What have you been up to for the last 29 years?"
Ben was in town! I could not believe it. We chatted and made plans for dinner.
I was at Kristie's mom's house when Ben called back. I had found out that Kristie was in town as well, proprietor of the Breckenridge Bead Gallery. Kristie, my childhood sweetie. In town! When Calvin and I went to her shop, I introduced myself.
"Hi, you're Kristie, aren't you?"
"Yes" (quizzically)
"Hi Kristie, I'm Brent. Brent Schneeman"
"Oh my...What have you been up to for the past 29 years?"
Kristie and I caught up (as best we could). She looks terrific. Very much the girl I was sweet on. I invited her along to dinner with Ben.
In finalizing dinner plans (6 pm at the Breckenridge Brewery), Ben mentioned that he left a message with Erin, inviting her along. I really could not believe it. Erin was in town too!? My mind boggled. My senses reeled.
Calvin and I got to the Brewery at 6 and waited in the bar. Kristie was already there, but I did not recognize her from the back. She turned around and said "hi", and then said "here comes Ben". Ben grew up but was recognizably the 8 year old I remember.
The four of us sat down for dinner, with the expectation that Erin would come later. We drank, ate, and chatted; Ben, Kristie and me catching up and Calvin chiming in. We did not have to wait too long for Erin.
"Hi Erin"
"Brent!? What have you been up to for the last 29 years?"
The story was told once more. We all proceeded to catch up. Asking and answering, answering and asking. Me being impressed that the three of them are still obviously good friends. Them in apparent wonder that I was there with them at all (and Calvin making funny side comments - "Mile High Club" indeed!). It was incredible amazing humbling -I lack the words to describe it- to see my three childhood friends through the lens of 29 years. The answer to that question -What have you been up to for the last 29 years?- did not matter. All that mattered was that I was with my friends. As Erin told us when she answered her husband's "you sure you want to go?": "You don't understand. It's Brent Schneeman". I felt the same way.
It's Erin McGinnis
It's Ben Brewer
It's Kristie (Nicholls) Hoffman
It's my friends
Posted at 06:35PM Sep 21, 2005 by schnee in Life | Comments[0]