OK, I am a huge Top Chef fan. Hubby is in the biz and it's fun watching his take on what's happening. When I saw Josie on TC I was struck by the fact that she seemed very familiar to me. I went to the TC website and when I learned her last name I realized that I did know her. We went to Middle School together in Miami. It was a magnet program for fine arts. She was an art student, I was there for music. None of us were at the school we normally would be attending, so we were all strangers when we started.
Anyway, when I saw her last name was Smith I instantly remembered how she introduced herself to me. "What is the most common last name in the world ... Smith". I guessed Jones. I was young. To this day when I someone with the last name my internal monologue kicks in: "most common last name in the world".
Then I remembered her smile. She ALWAYS was smiling. Always laughing. When I focused on her pic and bio on the TC website I knew it was her. I was so proud. She is a great person. I was rooting for her. If you watched the season of TC she was on you got a good glimpse of the girl I knew. Always honest. Always driven. Very determined. Very strong.
I did not keep up with the fine arts magnet program through high school. I went off to my "normal" school. I had become disillusioned with the competitiveness of the fine arts kids, and lost track of all of the people I met. Also, middle school pretty much sucks -- hormones, pettiness and mean people abound. I was happy at the time to get away.
I now wish I had some was of reaching out to Josie. I was stunned to find this post about her. I am literally aching with the pain she mush have gone through. She was an amazing person as a teenager. I am not sure that she would remember me. Again art & music students did not mix too much, (stupid barriers) but the fact that I knew her should illustrate how she made herself standout in an environment where most were trying to fit in and conform.
Thank you for posting the link to the article. I no longer live in Florida and would not have known about this had you not posted it. I hope that any who read this know Josie a little better through my description. I am deeply sorry that this happened to her. I hope she is doing well and never has to suffer the pain of intolerance in the future.
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Date: 2007-09-20 06:04 pm (UTC)Anyway, when I saw her last name was Smith I instantly remembered how she introduced herself to me. "What is the most common last name in the world ... Smith". I guessed Jones. I was young. To this day when I someone with the last name my internal monologue kicks in: "most common last name in the world".
Then I remembered her smile. She ALWAYS was smiling. Always laughing. When I focused on her pic and bio on the TC website I knew it was her. I was so proud. She is a great person. I was rooting for her. If you watched the season of TC she was on you got a good glimpse of the girl I knew. Always honest. Always driven. Very determined. Very strong.
I did not keep up with the fine arts magnet program through high school. I went off to my "normal" school. I had become disillusioned with the competitiveness of the fine arts kids, and lost track of all of the people I met. Also, middle school pretty much sucks -- hormones, pettiness and mean people abound. I was happy at the time to get away.
I now wish I had some was of reaching out to Josie. I was stunned to find this post about her. I am literally aching with the pain she mush have gone through. She was an amazing person as a teenager. I am not sure that she would remember me. Again art & music students did not mix too much, (stupid barriers) but the fact that I knew her should illustrate how she made herself standout in an environment where most were trying to fit in and conform.
Thank you for posting the link to the article. I no longer live in Florida and would not have known about this had you not posted it. I hope that any who read this know Josie a little better through my description. I am deeply sorry that this happened to her. I hope she is doing well and never has to suffer the pain of intolerance in the future.