The first time I spent any time with Val, she was wearing a vinyl corset and bat wings. We all went out for Chinese food, and when she ordered her dinner in Chinese, the waitress was so startled she almost swallowed her tongue.
I had, of course, met her before at various Symposium gatherings and events. But she was just so intimidating, with her style and her brains and her self confidence. If you'd told me that she was a year younger than me, I'd have laughed at you.
Over the next few weeks I passed a boyfriend off to her, and we all collectively pounced and hauled her into our little group.
I know that I'll brag to you all any chance I get about this girl, about how smart she is and the languages she speaks and the cool things she's always doing. But the thing is that over the last few years our friendship has become a focus of light, and one of the most important things in my world. Not just because her letters have postage stamps from far away places, and not even because I once walked into a room and quickly learned that she had pierced her labia...although these are all important. Val is so, so dear to me just because she's Val, and I don't intend to ever lose her.
Happy birthday, Val!
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