March 18, 2031
Dear Daniel,
It’s been a long time since I last saw you. I think I saw your name on some
books for children. Was that you or just my prankster’s imagination? Also,
I’ve heard that you’ve married someone, had some children, too. Congrats!
What’s married life like? I’ll admit, I’d almost forgotten everyone,
including you, from my 6th grade year until I was rummaging through some old
junk and found the 2011 year book for XXX Elementary. I strolled down a
very long memory lane from there on, though bits and pieces of it are gone
and I only vividly remembered the important dates, such as the last day of
school when we had that famous soccer shootout with our classmates.
You know, things have changed quite a lot from back in sixth grade. I got a
Labrador retriever. Although sometimes he is a pain, Tony is fun to have
around. Right about now, he is cocking his head at me and whining loudly,
pushing his favorite toy, a tug-of-war rope, around on the tiled floor. I
guess he wants to play. Too bad he’ll have to wait a bit until I finish
this letter! Anyways, everything’s pretty much sunshine on this end. I
studied hard at Harvard, and after a while decided to become a doctor. I
wasn’t sure at first what I would be, but I found out when looking after
some kids for my neighbors. One of them was sick with the flu, and I had to
spoon the medicine into his mouth by promising him some treats afterwards.
It doesn’t sound like much, but right around then I decided I would be a
pediatrician. After my internship at a nearby hospital, I began working at a
hospital in Monterey, CA, and still am right now. I’m a pretty easygoing
and rather un-stressed pediatrician (not that I like the fact that children
even need to come to see me) and living at a house near the beach. The
stress isn’t as bad as I’d expected, really. Perhaps it’s because I don’
t have children. That would be a lot more exerting on me. But hey, you’ve
apparently managed fined with, what, nine or ten children? Maybe I’ll
reconsider . . .
I’ve also been visiting places around the world which I’ve been interested
in. Some of them are rather cliché, but others are more eccentric. France,
for one, is perhaps one of the most popular countries to travel to. In
Russia (such a cold place) I got a babushka doll, and heard some beautiful
music. Well, Russian history and cuisine are both rich in flavor, so I can
see why so many people, me included, want to go there despite the freaking
coldness. Switzerland has majestic clock towers, and of course, Swiss cheese
is part of the lure in my consideration. Italy, on the other hand, has
great gelato. If you ever want to go there, you have to lower your
expectation for their authentic pizza. However, the art that has been
created there is wonderful. Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, the list goes
on and on. It’s an artist’s best dream place. Estonia, although cold,
dreary and grey, is a nice place to visit.
Have you changed much? Are you still cheerful and witty? Apparently, I’ve
become cynic and paranoid (I actually debated coding this), not mention
cranky and moody. Nothing is more evident than what this letter has
demonstrated. I am almost the opposite of you. Hope your life is way better
than mine, as always!
Sincerely
James
P.S. Come over and visit me sometimes. I will try to bake some chocolate
cookies for you. Most likely the cookies would be partially burnt, but it’s
the thought that counts, right?
