you've got new friends....

Dear Queen Street West,

I miss you.

Remember when I used to skip school and come into town and we would have lunch together. I would usually spend all day with you, sometimes my friend Megan would bring me and show me all your little secrets.

We grew up together. You showed me to the vintage shop where I bought my first pair of bootcut courdory pants, across from Java, where I would get a cup of possibly the worst coffee ever and sit for a couple hours, the pants were blue, the coffee was grey, both were fantastically ugly and perfect with a cigarette. I was 15.

Then there was that time, when I was 17, I brought my fake ID and got my first tattoo, ala Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a circle design on the left side of my chest, you branded me then, I felt like you really approved of this.

We used to get real drunk too, and had so many parties. it was a blast.

Its funny, cause I know we don’t live far from each other, I’m on King, in Parkdale, and you, Queen Street, are just around the corner, but something is different.

I remember something my brother told me a long time ago, that when you get older you just don’t have the time to hang out anymore, and everyone gets busy doing other things.

I see you’re still at it being the crazy social butterfly that you are, making new friends from all over.

I know we meet up every now and then, but it seems all business, I hang my art, you like it, you show it to all your new friends,

But something has definitely changed. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all that you do for me, maybe I’m just being silly, but

We’re not the same.

I know you got real busy with all the new clubs, and all you’re new friends from Mississauga make it difficult for us to really connect.

And I see you’ve upgraded your available accommodations to condos and some pretty cool slick lofts, which are nice, I guess, maybe I just liked the way things were. You’re just too busy.

Remember when my band used to play, and all the kids would come out and get down?

What’s happened, what has changed?

Maybe it’s just me.

I know the bands still play, and the kids still get drunk, and the shops are still cool….

Maybe we’ve just run our course, out grown each other, you’re still striving for that new sense of cool, whereas I have become content with myself and who I am. I don’t hold that against you though, for as long as I can remember, that’s who you are, you’re like Peter Pan, and I hope you never grow old.

So I guess what I’m saying is thanks for the memories, the good times, and helping to form who I am today, you are my Toronto, you lead me to find many of my loves, and cradled a lot of my losses.

Maybe, for old times, we can meet up this weekend, if the weather is nice, and we can grab a pint on a patio and reconnect a little?

Gregory Serpanchy
www.gregoryserpanchy.com

*Click on the link to see Simon and Garfunkel prepare to sing a special song... which is first interrupted by Paul's friend... we'll call him "Chuck", or "Mississauga"