A Taylor-Made Life: The closer I get to you

Several weeks ago, my eyes were drawn to the red “Breaking News” alert on my computer’s taskbar.

Clicking the alert revealed the news that songstress Roberta Flack had passed away at 88.

Immediately, my memory went back in time to eighth grade when my dad would drive me to school every morning on his way to work. For a spell of time, a compilation CD of Flack’s greatest hits was seemingly all the played through the speakers of his light-blue Jaguar.

Because the junior high wasn’t far from the house, there would typically only be time for me to hear one song (and this included the time spent picking up my friend and neighbor, Alicia). More often than not, this song was “The Closer I Get to You,” a duo with Donny Hathaway.

At this time, I was experiencing my first true crush. My good friend and classmate, Jason, was who I was convinced I would marry.

Listening to this song, particularly the lyrics “over and over again, I try to tell myself that we, will never be more than friends,” brought him to mind while I would look out the window and pine.

What I thought was an unrequited crush later revealed itself to be mutual. We dated our whole freshmen year of high school, breaking up the summer before sophomore year. I later learned the real reason for the breakup, and it was that we had one too many things in common.

Years after my broken heart mended, we bumped into each other at a concert and made plans to catch up over dinner. Sitting in that booth at Aurelio’s felt like no time had passed and we quickly fell into step once again as best friends.

Though the romantic (if you can even put romance and 14 year olds into the same category) element was no longer, I still felt the love and care for him that I did before. Our chemistry and shared sense of humor existed still, and does to this day.

Jason and I have been there for the big moments in our lives - we celebrated graduations and stood up in each other’s weddings. Though our relationship isn’t at all what Roberta and Donny were singing about, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

And now, more than double the age I was in my pine-out-the-car-window days, I feel excited for that girl and the great future (and love) that’s in store for her.

Thank you, Roberta, for your talent and ability to connect me to a past self.