Cassie Pataky
Opinions Editor
“Happy Birthday Cass-Bass!” read the simple note attached to the purse my childhood friend had gifted me (for my birthday, obviously). Although it wasn’t a lengthy love letter, my heart warmed at the use of the nickname.
I thought about how I used to dislike the nickname. Who wants to be compared to a fish! When I was first crowned Cass-Bass (all those years ago), I didn’t want to offend my friend by telling her that, so she continued to use it, oblivious to my distaste.
Over time, however, the nickname came to symbolize more than just a fish. She was (and still is) the only person who calls me that, so I’ve come to associate the nickname with her. It is a gift, a token of our friendship, that she has bestowed upon me, and I now wear it with pride.
Reading the birthday note, I was reminded of this sort of “inside joke” we share, of our history together, and the fact that no one will ever call me Cass-Bass but her.
Although long-distance friendship can be hard sometimes — whether it is the inability to find a time to call or the new experiences we can no longer share — moments like this remind me that my friends from home are still there.
Sometimes I feel like I am losing my childhood friends. We have all pursued different interests and embarked on different life paths. We are each struggling with our own challenges and growing into different people from who we were in high school.
Through the use of this nickname, I am reminded that I still possess a unique relationship with my friends from home. While I might grow closer to different people over the years, no one has grown up with me except for my childhood friends. Through the years of friendship, we have created a specific bond that no one else can really replicate.