Savannah Banjo

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. ~ Socrates

It was another beautiful day in the best college town in America, Missoula, MT. My bestie Kelly and I had gone to an ice cream shop near campus for an afternoon treat. What we didn't know is that we were about to get a story that would last our entire friendship.

We sat in the shop and ate our yummy ice cream. As we got up to leave, I noticed a tambourine hanging from the door as a makeshift door bell for when customers walked in (Caution: this is where my character and sanity come into serious question). In excited hysterics, I shouted to Kelly, "Look! A banjo!" (Not a typo)

Kelly looked out the door, at an old farm truck loaded with junk and some questionable looking hillbillies (I know, the irony!). "What are you talking about?" she asked, giving me a look of complete confusion.

In response (because she was the idiot here, not me), I rolled my eyes and pointed. "A banjo! Its a banjo! RIGHT THERE! BANJO!"

Kelly was quiet for a beat, then said calmly, "You mean that tambourine?"

I felt my shoulders sink and hunch, and my cheeks burn. "Um...yes." And then we ran outside, busting up laughing.

No one knows this, but this story is why I stopped going to school there. HA, just kidding. I was pretty embarrassed by my crazed, adamant nature, though.

Now, years later, we still laugh about this ridiculous story. We tell people about it and they all look at me like I'm....well, psychotic. I can't blame them. Kelly's an impressive friend for putting up with me for as long as she has.

A few months ago, we were at Disney's EPCOT park. Long story short, Kelly bought me a beautiful tambourine in Mexico at the World Showcase: my very own Savannah Banjo. It now hangs proudly on the wall at my house, a reminder to embrace the insanity as it comes.