The Jessica You Never Knew

I've known many a character in my life, but I have never felt close to a fictional character since I picked up a copy of Sloppy Firsts in 2001 and was plunged into the insecurities, witty and bitingly honest observations of Miss Jessica Lynn Darling created by Megan McCafferty. At that time in my life I felt like this book was written just for me. I felt alone in a Clueless Crew, had one word conversations with my father, a perfect blonde (younger) sister, and a period that had been M.I.A for at least a year and a half.

I was living near Buffalo when September 11th became a day the world would never forget, I took comfort in Sloppy Firsts during this time and when it was written about in the second novel Second Helpings, I remember feeling a strange sense of "I was immersed in your life when that happened". As dorky as it sounds, it felt like a friendship. When something epic and earth shattering happens people remember the what they were doing on that exact day, I was reading about how Hy couldn't get Red Bull at the Superfoodtown that morning. (As a Canadian, I thought "What the heck is Red Bull?!! We didn't get it until 2005...just like mobile phones and the internet...har har)

Sharing in her romantic entanglements like a friend would, from the "every girl's been there crush on a boy who doesn't know your name" to the love of her life Marcus Flutie, hit close to the bone. As Paul Parlipiano turns out to be gay, I took comfort in the fact that it happen(s)(ed) to other girls, I have journals full of crushes on men that as I later discovered, did not worship the va-jay-jay. I haven't found My Manilow connection yet, the person that is the equivalent to my own best friend. I can only hope that it is messy and real like the love Jessica and Marcus share.

I have shared in her life for eight years, I have shared the chapters of her life with close friends and strangers at the bookstore. I am saddened by the fact that the final chapter is quickly approaching, but I feel privileged that I was able to find a very real fictional character that I could watch grow and mature into one of the best friends I never actually had.

www.meganmccafferty.com

gail leary

this entry is dedicated to adam dalton-wyatt, we had a lovely conversation about ghosts just now. i won the conversation by a landslide because i believe ghosts are clever and crafty and resourceful. and i have amazing haunting blueprints created for when i am a ghost. 

i got a haircut today and now i look like the philandering tv anchorwoman who birthed darling dawson leary. puffy bangs mostly, they will be corrected in time i am sure. 

my exploits have been non-existant and not very entertaining. 

i am at my dad's house for dinner, i brought my children holga and diana and we will make delightful light leaked pictures later on. 

gosh gee willikers. 

read anything by melissa bank, she is great. 

listen to silver jews, they are great also.