Hoodwinked

In elementary school, I thought I had an amazing rapport with one of my best friend's mom, mainly because she winked at me all the time. Pretty much anytime we exchanged words she'd give me a wink. It made me feel special because not only did she really seem to like me, but it was like we shared some kind of secret. Occasionally, I would wink back, but mostly I just smiled at her since it seemed a little excessive to wink after each sentence, even though I appreciated her commitment to the gesture.

By the time I reached junior high, I was a little wiser and more critical. I started picking up on the fact that she was not just winking at me, but everyone. It made me a little jealous that I might not be her favorite son's friend after all. I also found myself questioning the timing of the winking. Was me telling her what I was learning in English class really wink-worthy?

Then, while she sat at the kitchen table reading the newspaper, I spied on her from the next room. She was just sitting there winking at nothing. It was then - and sadly only then - that it finally dawned on me that she wasn't winking… she was twitching. And while it's not to say that she's not friendly, it was humbling to realize that I had invented a special bond between the two of us based on a chronic facial tic.

It may be for the best since since our bond was never meant to last. This same mom got herself into soap opera-like drama a few years later. That's not a story I'm willing to blog about publicly, but that doesn't mean you couldn't ask me for that gossip in person. WINK! ; )