[Melinda],
It’s Tom Hesley. Are you the same person I knew in Miamisburg, OH in 1995? If not, sorry to bother you.
If so, I’ve wondered about you over the years though we parted on not such good terms in 1998.
My life has taken all sorts of interesting turns in the five years since then. A nasty mugger injured me in 1999. Though I recovered quickly, I had to leave Philly for ten months in early 2000 to do it.
Later that year, I learned first hand about your love of New England, as a relationship took me to Maine for two visits in summertime. My friend lives on an island 16 miles off the coast. I liked her charming little home but couldn’t see myself moving to such a secluded area. She understood and last I knew, she had moved in with a neighbor guy who drives truck for her in her business. He was a better match for her than I, though I do regret that we only talk a few times a year nowadays.
Anyway, in late 2000, I missed the big city so much that I moved back to far northeast Philadelphia. The neighbors at that apartment were quite noisy unfortunately, so my comeback lasted just a year.
Then I moved [back] to Altoona at the end of 2001 and have been here ever since.
[Also] in 2001, I grew disillusioned with working for others full-time. So after a year or so of saving, I left [the job I had when you knew me] last March to pursue a writing career, with a little DJ work on the side.
I still live in Altoona, but hope to return to an upscale section of Philly once I’m published.
I’m hopeful that the third time in Philly will be the charm, though I have considered moving to Los Angeles or Las Vegas in passing fancies. We’ll just have to see how it all works out.
Well, don’t want to ramble too much. If you’d care to re establish communication, let me know. I would welcome that and somehow suspect that this time around, we’d get along much better.
Take care,
Tom Hesley
