Best of the Best

Remember when there was only one "best?" In fact, any word ending in –est meant "alone at the top."

[Hmmm, what's a "best seller" then? Shouldn't there be only one? But many of us use the term, even if we topped the chart of a local bookstore in Burlington, Kansas, one week in 2003. But maybe that's another blog topic.]

When I was a kid, the label "best friend" was very clearly defined. You could have only one, or one at a time anyway. There was constant checking, like "How come you gave Ruthie B. half your sandwich? You wanna be best friends with her, ok, just let me know and I'll be best friends with Annie M."

 Here's one of my best friends, Geraldine I., on the right. She died the same month that I was creating a new protagonist for my miniature mysteries. Naming Geraldine Porter after her was a way of keeping my friend with me.

The first fictional best friend I created was Rose Galigani, a classy mother of three and a funeral director. I gave her to my first protagonist Gloria Lamerino in the periodic table mysteries.  

When she appeared in print, one of my friends, Natalie W., from grade school called me. She, too, has three children, and she was thrilled to be the basis for Rose. Never mind that Rose wears a size 2 and Natalie shops in the fuller figure department.

Another high school friend, Lena P., called to thank me for modeling Rose after her. She has a daughter named Mary, just as Rose does. Never mind that there are no other similarities.

Three other friends claimed to have inspired Rose, one because Rose has red highlights, another because she has a garden, and the third because Rose has traveled to Italy.

I suppose they all were my inspiration, each in her own way. They were all my best friends at one time. Maybe it's cumulative. Once a best friend, always a best friend; there's simply a longer list of BFs as we get older. Thus, BFF.

,

Camille

 

 

Comments

[Susan C Shea]

Camille - Funny story about Rose, but your friends' reactions surprised me. I've noticed that while readers always ask about the connections between fictional characters and the author's real life, they're not as quick to see where a character is actually drawn from someone they know - or them. Only one of my friends recognized the real similarities between a villain in my first book and a person we both knew. And the artist who really was the inspiration for a positive character loved the book but never figured out her role in it!

[Ann]

I like the idea that we just "grow" our list of best friends over time. A bit of serendipity: This weekend I got a PHONE CALL out of the blue from my best(est) friend from elementary-junior-high-school (and beyond) days. I haven't talked to her in a looooong time.
After the first couple minutes, we were back into the swing of our long-time friendship: Talking, laughing, sharing, consoling, remembering ... It was as if no time had passed at all. Only now, we have a whole history of shared and separate experiences between us. It's a lovely gift, friendship.

[Mysti Berry]

I was worried I'd have to sit down and explain to my family "Now when you read this, you'll see some events that actually happened. Please know that they are all mixed up with things that I know didn't happen in real life. Fiction is a sliver of fact with a thick gooey coating of fiction all around."

Maybe they won't even notice?

[Camille Minichino]

It's a nice image, Mysti, but I doubt you'll have to use it!

Susan, a mutual friend spotted the identity of a character right away, but the guy himself had no clue!

And, Ann, I'm so glad to count you as a BFF! And thanks for facilitating the friendship among the LadyKillers and readers!

[Margaret Lucke]

Nice to see the inspiration for Geraldine. And interesting that everyone wants to be Rose. Shows how happy everyone is to claim you as a friend. :-)

On the other hand, Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, once said that none of the people he bases his characters on recognize themselves. They're all certain the model is the idiot coworker two desks over. Of course his characters are much less worthy than yours.

[Priscilla]

Some BFs do last a lifetime. Mine from HS calls once in a blue moon or I email, but the moment we're in contact, it's like we've always lived next door. It is a special thing.