Katie Hitzel has been one of my best friends since the 4th grade. I was the first person who befriended her when she moved to Florida, a fact I like to remind her of, even though it was mostly for selfish purposes at the time, because she laughed at everything I said, and fed my 9 year-old ego.
Even back then, she and I could talk on the phone for hours and hours, and we did just that, after school for years.
You would think this may very well be the reason I never did any of my homework and turned out to be a terrible student leaving me with no choice as an adult, but to become a comedian. But Katie was clearly not as immersed in our phone conversations as I was, because she was always a perfect student (I was the exact opposite) and now she’s in her 2nd year of pharmacy school at University of Florida (my mom’s alma mater AND the same university I was not accepted to with my pathetic GPA). So I know she’s always busy studying, a skill I never mastered or even attempted for that matter. Meanwhile, I’m in LA, living a life some would probably describe as “bummish” or “crazy” or “I’m going to kill you for how much money you’re costing me” (that last one is my mom, by the way).
So while Katie studies and works on entering a respectable career as someone who helps people and contributes to society, I make it my duty to keep her laughing and remind her of the lunatic she befriended (actually, who befriended her; remember, Katie?) so many years ago. She hardly ever responds to my nonsense, but when she does,it’s the perfect amount of validation I need.
No matter how different we are, Katie is somebody I know will always be in my life, and who I will I always consider to be one of my best friends, soley because she’s one of the few who’s been willing to put up with me for so long.
