Sha-ney-ney

I was blessed.

I had the most amazing, absolute amazing, ridiculously incredible roommate my freshman and sophomore year of college.

At first, I knew who she was but did not really know her. She was from Kernersville; we just went to different high schools.

We both had plans to attend NC State the fall of 2002 as freshman and neither of us had roommates.

A mutual friend, Leslie Routh, introduced us and the rest was history. (A wonderful love story I know!)

Shannon and I met for the first time at TJ’s deli in Kernersville and immediately began making plans about school, classes, and of course the décor of our dorm room!

Over the next several weeks we exchanged conversations over the phone and agreed to meet at Belk at Hanes mall to pick out matching bedding. With our mothers help we purchased matching bright colored comforters. We decided on lofts for our beds and a futon on the floor. The vision was there.

The day we moved in, we both arrived with our “life” in our hands and the help of our parents and sisters to move it into Lee Hall. Our parents were very similar with “over caring” mothers and dads who wanted to just “get it done.” We came from very similar families, similar backgrounds and we both had a sister we had spent the last 18 years making our best friends.

Our stuff was moved into 410C Lee Hall by mid afternoon and we were officially college kids. It was time for our parents to head back to Kernersville with sore backs and beads of sweat running down their temples. After tears from everyone and short lectures from both sets of parents about locking the doors, staying together and never-leaving-one-another –without-knowing-where-the –other-is-at, we watched from the balcony as they headed to the parking lot.

Shannon and I stood there without saying a word or moving a muscle. After several minutes we both turned to walk back down the hallway and as we faced each other our eyes were identical; small pools were forming on the bottom lids.

We entered the room, climbed on our lofts, and the tears began to flow like Niagara Falls. Neither of us said anything…but we didn’t need to. I knew what she was thinking and she knew exactly what I was thinking. We were on our own, but at least we were doing it together!
Over the next year, Shannon and I did everything together. She had her quirks and I had mine but we appreciated them in each other. That’s what made her who she was. Shannon was a neat freak, honestly almost OCD, but I loved that about her. It made me a better person! You could always bet our room would be PERFECT no matter what time of day you walked in; she was a girl of my own heart! I loved at night waking up at 1am and finding Shannon typing away on her computer below as she was talking up a storm on AIM. I loved coming home from a mid-morning class and finding her wrapped up in the NCSU blanket on the futon napping EVERYDAY. It’s hard to get along in such a tiny space but we made it happen and I enjoyed every minute.

After our freshman year we decided we still wanted to live together but somewhere off campus. We joined forces with Kelly Schwartz and Leslie Routh and got a townhouse at University Suites. Shannon and I shared the downstairs and we enjoyed yet another year as roomies! We had almost all the same classes so I knew I always had help right across the hall. Shannon was extremely smart and talented and I knew I could always depend on her.

We parted ways as roomies when I moved into the sorority house our junior year but the friendship with Shannon didn’t disappear. I love that child with all my heart and I will never forget all the memories we made together. College would not have been the same if she wouldn’t have been in the picture.

Shannon is now married to one of the most precious guys who loves her deeply and they are living back in Winston-Salem.

This morning as I was walking into work, I heard someone yell my name through the parking lot. I turned around and it was Reggie, Shannon’s father. I was so excited to see a familiar face. Sometimes I feel lost in a sea of 900 in our building but to see Reggie brought a smile to my face so early in the morning. Reggie works for Duke at Allen Steam Plant but was at the Energy Center working on a project today. We stopped and talked for awhile as we caught up from the last time we saw each other several years ago at Shannon’s wedding. I asked if he would send me Shannon and Justin’s home address and he said he would email it to me this morning. I received the following email a little bit ago:

It was nice to see you. I just talked to Robin and told her I ran into you. I also told her there was no way that just a few short years ago we were helping move that young lady I walked in with this morning into a dorm and then an apartment! Ya’ll have all grown up so fast, and done so well. We are all so proud of you kids (I can still call ya’ll that, can’t I?) I can only imagine being down here when I was your age, but you’ll do well. I know that it’s been tough on Shannon, but I truly believe that she’ll come through this much better than she can imagine. Shannon and Justin’s address is as follows:

Shannon Grubbs
** address deleted for privacy
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27107

Don’t know if you are going to K’ville this weekend, or not, but we’re having the Chicken Stew Saturday beginning around 5:30 or 6:00 P.M. We’d love for you all to come, tell your mom and dad, they’ll know most of the folks there. Again, it was good to see you, take care.

It made me miss Shannon more than ever but also made me realize what a blessing it is to have met her my freshman year and to have had her as a part of my life!
She is an amazing friend and I would not have survived or become who I am today if it were not for her!