Fancy

While in college, I met a girl who I can best describe as a kindred spirit. We were alike in so many ways that we decided our lives were almost parallel in some areas. But in others, we were so very different, and those difference were what cracked us up, often enough to make our stomachs hurt and the tears start. Stef and I were both journalism majors and worked in the university PR office together. College would not have been the same experience without her.

One of our very favorite stories revolved around a beloved professor who has now passed on. He was polite and precise and perfect, in a persnickety type of way-- almost kind of fussy. Once Stef and her group (all girls) had to turn in a big project, which she had put together in a special folder. Upon handing it to the professor, he appeared surprised at their packaging efforts.

"Oooh, fancy," the professor remarked with glee (and maybe a smirk?).

Undecided as to how to respond to this, Stef stammered out the first thing she could think of.

"Well, we're fancy girls," she managed to say somehow without completely losing it.

If you're not laughing, then you just had to be there. We thought it was hysterical, and we still do. And the story has lived on since then, as "Fancy" became a term of endearment, an adjective, and a prefix that could interchangeably be used in almost any context. Even retelling the actual original conversation is enough to reduce us to tears of laughter. It's eight years later and we communicate mainly by email or phone, but we still call ourselves Fancy. And now we have little Fancies of our own.

So when Ben tonight said that his Halloween costume made him a Fancy Little Boy, I couldn't resist grabbing the camera and coaxing him into getting it on video.


So, this one's for you, Fancy. Love you and I'll call you soon!