Flash-Forward: Chuckle's 20s... 20 Years Later

It was pure serendipity that brought both Amy and Laura to New York at the same time. Back in my 20s in Washington, I was blessed with a group of friends that were as tight knit as a spider web... we were an indelible group of friends that I can only compare to today's Lunasa crowd... ever evolving as boyfriends and girlfriends entered and exited, protective and loving and ever active in one another's lives—partying, living together, marrying within the circle, deaths of friends, square dancing(!), experimenting with all the things that one does in the age group and much music. La and I met as workmates at the Washington Business Journal in the late 1980s.

The gang's chairwoman was Laura—ever known to me as Jones—and she more or less commandeered the activities (in much the same way that Kristina does in current times). She and longtime hubby Jack came to NYC this weekend with their 12-year-daughter Emma. Meanwhile, Amy (at right, in the '80s/below, today) arrived in town this same weekend and joined us at Lunasa yesterday with her boyfriend Christian.
Back in the day, I was, I suppose, the token gay, and my various boyfriends of the 1980s were allowed entrance—until life turned a page. The same was true of so many of us young 'uns as we lived the ups and downs of our glorious 20s. So many indelible memories of those days, and a warm, fuzzy security blanket that protected all of us through our days as young adults.

So Amy and Christian joined at Lunasa Friday night, followed by a fab dinner at Piola. Amy hasn't changed a lick and in fact, is more beautiful now. Her man Christian is quite the handsome gent, eh?Saturday I met up with Jones and clan in the afternoon after she and Emma saw "Wicked" on Broadway and I brought them to the Heights. We did the requisite walk along the Promenade and admired the nabe's architecture, then Ayhan joined and we had dinner at Turkish restaurant Taze.

None of this felt like a reunion; it was just picking up where we left off so many years ago—and that cool cats, is a sign of true friendship—just connecting the dots to the present. That is precious and rare.