Dorine Lumb Emery
I lean. We were in 1st grade, Stephen Barker School. To make friends with this girl who sat to my left, I asked her name. To me it sounded like "I lean". I asked her which way she leaned. She said "forward" and we laughed.
I regret not maintaining friendship with Eileen thruout the years. We graduated Searles High same class, and she asked me to go with her into a military future. I declined. Eileen was always forward and logical and seemed very confident. I often wished I had said yes. And I regret when in 1st grade I told her we could not be good friends. It was a terrible thing I did, but I was just 5 years old, and relied heavily on my elder's judgements. Therefore I told Eileen we could not be good friends because she was Catholic, and as I was warned, "we cannot be friends with them because they do things to you if you are not Catholic." I was not Catholic, therefore I should not trust this girl who seemed to be very nice. Straightforwardly and unashamedly I pushed her away from me. Eileen said, no, she was not like that. She would never be that way. But I, too attached to my elder's advice, broke friendship with her. I'm very sorry. I should have trusted you and maintained that friendship. We might have become lifelong friends. So sorry, Eileen.