Valerie

The universe has an uncanny way of rewinding…

A few weeks ago, I woke up one morning with Steve Winwood’s “Valerie” on my mind. Had it been in my dreams? I couldn’t remember. Yet, hours later with this earworm drilling into my brain, I had no choice but to listen to the track.

“Hey Google, play Valerie by Steve Winwood.” From the very first note, my mind flooded back to the early ’80s, driving to and from college with my friend Valerie.

Val was from my hometown, a couple of years older. The funny thing is, I don’t remember actually meeting Val; she was always just there.

What I do remember is Val’s kindness to everyone. It didn’t matter if you were popular or a social outcast, upper or lower class, athletic or … less than — Val was universally kind to everyone. Never one to act out or do anything to garner attention, Val simply made high school a lot more tolerable for underclass outcasts like me.

A couple of years later, I heard my name called from across the college cafeteria. Before I could turn around to see who it was, Val was standing right there and leaned in for a hug. “You’re here!” she said, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to say. For all her kindness in high school, it’s regrettable to admit that I could not remember her name.

“Valerie” she said. “You remember? People just call me Val now”. Suddenly, a light clicked on: VALERIE. Right, I remember. All those times when she kept the upper-class bullies at bay or helped me with homework in the library, or when she would be kind at precisely the right time. Yes, THAT Valerie. “Val” now.

Over the next few weeks, I ran into Val a couple of times, mostly in the cafeteria where she worked. We’d exchange pleasantries but rarely much more. See, back then I was what people now call a “horrible person.” Starting from a social outcast in high school, I somehow majored in “asshole” my first couple of years in college. Yet, Val didn’t care. She was always pleasant and happy to see me.

It must’ve been sometime around the holidays that year when I ran into Val again when she asked if she could bum a ride home with me. I tried to explain that her home wasn’t really on my way — it was a whole TWO MILES out of my way — and that would have been a grave…