The Most Wonderful of Wonderful Reunions With A Friend #NWPAM #NCTE16Wusah!

After I finished my first Masters at the University of Louisville, a woman named Amy Parton (singer for the band King Kong) walked onto campus in a pair of combat boots, a funky pink sweater, black tights, and some sort of floral arrangement or print in her hair. She caught my eye and I said, "Yup, we'll become friends."

We did.

She taught at one high school and I taught at another. We occasionally got together, loved one another's spirit, and simply had a fantastic time whenever we were around one another.

Then the Humana Cambridge Scholars program sponsored by the English Speaking Union of Louisville announced they were funding three teachers to attend Cambridge University for a summer of Shakespearean scholarship. I applied, not knowing she applied. We, and another woman, were selected. Amy and I took the prize and used it for one of the most fantastic summers of our lives - three months in Ireland, Scotland, England and Denmark. It was the last hoorah of our youth and we loved every second of it.

Imagine my surprise when a twisted face-selfie landed on my phone during the National Writing Project's Annual Meeting while Elyse was speaking. "Amy?" I thought to myself, "Is Amy here?"

It turns out that my friend who I haven't seen in over ten years (except for Facebook) will be co-directing the Louisville Writing Project next summer. This was her first conference and we just happened to be wearing, as she called them, "our mustard outfits."

Naturally we matched.

That is what I love about NWP and NCTE. It brings beautiful people together in celebration of words, literacy, teaching, and purpose. Amy could only stay for the NWP conference but it kicked this weekend's pep and step in the right direction.

Ah, life. So so beautiful to see my ol' friend....if only for a moment.