A Most Unforgettable Person

The topic of WeWrite4Ten today is, "Who is the most unforgettable person you have ever met? What made them so?"

This was a tough one for me. Having lived to this age, you can imagine I have met many very interesting and memorable people. As I sat here at the computer, trying to think who might fit this description, one name kept coming up. That person is Jessie Ruvo.

Miss Ruvo came to Austin to teach Jr./Sr. High School English and Music when I was in seventh grade. Austin Joint School is the smallest school district in Pennsylvania. My class was the largest to graduate from Austin at the time, with a total of 25 students.

From the first moment she stepped into the classroom, I had a huge girl crush on her. She was young,by no means beautiful. She had the worst hair of anyone I knew to that time other than me. I think the fact that she wasn't physically glamorous, which I certainly was not either, played a big part in my fascination with her.

She was, however, brilliant. She was a multi-talented musician. She played several instruments, wrote music and poetry. She was my idol. I certainly wanted to be her when I grew up.

With that kind of idolatry oozing from my pores, she soon picked up on my vibes and, I guess, I became the teacher's pet. She was a single woman living in our little town with no one her age to befriend. She became close to my parents and another family in town.

Over the next few years, I came to know her better and my eyes were opened to the frailties. She wasn't perfect. My interests changed. Boys became a big part of my life. My girlfriends became more and more important to me and, like Little Jackie Paper, I moved on. Jessie Ruvo was no longer my idol.

Jessie was married and moved to Arizona or New Mexico during my Senior year in high school. By then, I hardly noticed her going. Jim and talk about her often and have tried to locate her, but haven't been successful. I wish I could find her to tell her what a great influence she was in my young life.

She wrote a song that I will never forget:

I think of you so often,
when twilight days do end
and of the many times I wished
that you had been my friend.

To love and not be loved is painful
it's hard to know that you don't care
But you gave neither love or friendship
and that is more than I can bear

The love I have for you will pass
all broken hearts must mend
but mine would heal much faster
if you had been my friend.

I've remembered this song all these years and often find myself singing it.