Not Meant to Be but Still Sweet: The Story of Little Anne

This is Anne, aka "Little Anne." She was kinda my girlfriend during our senior year in high school. She wrote something in my annual about how Emerson, Lake & Palmer's music sounded like a beached whale, and it still cracks me up. I was going to tell a fellow ELP fan about it because I know he'll get a kick out of it, so I got out my annual to see what she wrote. 

 Anne lived on the same street where my friends Champ, Ashby and George lived. As one might guess she was a little short in stature, standing maybe 5-4 in heels. Little Anne was a trip. She was bubbly and fun to be around. She was smart as a whip, and like most intelligent women she had a wicked sense of humor. Much to my delight it was a tiny bit twisted, which is probably what attracted me most. It didn't hurt that she was cute as a Junebug.

 She was one of the popular girls, although she was nothing like so many of them who were shallow, concerned with unimportant bullshit and what I called "plastic." She had soul, and she was an angel.

 I managed to sort of split the difference in school, and had friends in all the major kid groups- the straights, the jocks and certainly the freaks. I was friends with a few of the popular kids, but I'd have almost certainly never gotten to know Anne, much less date her, if she hadn't lived in the party 'hood.

 Speaking of party, she rarely if ever did. She may have had a glass of wine here or there but I never saw her drunk, and she never touched drugs. She was one of those people who truly was "high on life," and her attitude was contagious. People loved her. 

 She wasn't a prude, and even though she didn't partake, she got a kick out of seeing us get stoned. I was surprised she'd want to go out with me, but after we hung out for a few months we got to like each other. It was never anything really serious...seeing as how she was as straight as she was, I didn't want to overly corrupt her, but seeing as how she was very open-minded and non-judgmental, which someone would have to be to want to go out with me, I did take an interest in broadening her horizons. 

 I think I succeeded in other areas, but the ELP thing was a total failure. It just wasn't her cup of Progressive tea. Maybe I didn't play "Lucky Man" enough, but the new and strange sounds of the synthesizer, a recent addition to popular music, were just too much for her. I probably had to calm her back down by playing some Bread or Dan Fogelberg or something, but I don't remember.

 I can't blame her...the first time I heard the synth on the Trilogy LP it freaked me out, and frankly spooked me a bit. Luckily I prevailed, because it also changed my view of music, and my life in general to some degree. I didn't try to push ELP on her, but if I'd played more of the pretty stuff, she may have ended up liking them. Brain Salad Surgery definitely isn't for everyone.

 I grabbed my annual and read what she wrote again after many years, and I was pleasantly surprised. I'd forgotten about the other stuff she wrote, and it gave me a warm fuzzy. It shows her eloquence and wit. That Anne. I reckon she wasn't serious about being madly in love with me, but I still got a kick out of it. 

 I remembered that she'd said that ELP's music was the reason our relationship would never work, but I'd forgotten the rest of what she wrote. I know I was pleased to read it back then, as I am now. While she was kidding about having a life together, she was serious about the rest of what she said. Decades later, I'm humbled.

 I'm glad she appreciated my expanding her awareness. She mentioned that I went out of my way to care for her, but I was just doing my thing. Maybe her being small brought out a natural instinct to protect her, but I don't remember doing anything special to care for her. I certainly cared about her.

 What she said about my potential is beautiful. Such nice words...what a piece of work she was, and I'm guessing still is. She ended with "Always in Him." I'm glad we're on the same page there anyway. I'm glad to know I had a positive effect on her life...she certainly did on mine. Too bad her expanded awareness didn't include ELP, but her comment still gives me a big chuckle to this day, and at least she was honest.

 I should try to look her up. I'm guessing she'd be okay with hearing from me, and I bet she'd enjoy seeing what she wrote in my annual. Maybe she still has what I wrote in hers. In any case it's great to read her words again after half a century or so. It's nice to know that you've affected someone in a positive way, if not a musical one. Maybe we could get together for a cup of coffee one day. Maybe I could play Lucky Man for her again. Never say never. Cheers, Anne! Thanks for the kind words.

Sorry about the beached-whale thing.