Strangers and friends

By Terri Barnes
Published: October 1, 2012

An old picture hangs on my wall, a framed snapshot of two girls who scarcely know each other making a pizza. It is a photo of both dinner and friendship in the making. One of the girls is a much younger me. The other girl was one of my college roommates. We and a third girl — who took the picture — had met a few weeks earlier at summer orientation and discovered our mutual need for housing and someone to share it with.

With all the optimism of youth, on the basis of 15 minutes acquaintance we decided to share rent, household chores and bathroom privileges for the next school year. We needed a fourth, and we found a willing candidate on the university’s list of students in need of housing. She lived on the other side of the country, but a few phone calls confirmed her as the last member of our intrepid quartet. We met her the day she moved in.

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Terri Barnes is a military wife and mother of three living in Virginia. Her column for military spouses, "Spouse Calls," appears here and in Stars and Stripes print editions each week. Leave comments on the blog or write to her at spousecalls@stripes.com.

Strangers and friends

Latest Blog Postings

Ernie Gates, ombudsman

Election Scorecard: Has Stripes played fair in 5 big moments in the presidential campaign?

The Ruptured Duck

Richmond renovation part of nationwide push to help highlight veterans

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Stripes Central

House Intel Committee chairman: New cyber threat looming

Stripes Central

Debate features little talk about military, no mention of veterans

The Ruptured Duck

To save his family, a Marine fights his war again, from a therapist's chair

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