My Lisa 3: Karmann Ghia

Oil Paint on Canvas 48” x 48” , 2023

$4,100

My Lisa 3: Karmann Ghia

Lisa drove a bright blue Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupe and she was as slick as the car. We worked together during high school summers, as

lifeguards at the swanky private country club in our town. We flirted with the cute golf caddies, and we made fun of the snooty club members.

On rainy days, when the pool was quiet, Lisa shared outrageous stories about parties she attended and boyfriends she had. And she made me laugh. I loved being friends with Lisa—she was confident and savvy, and she brought out my cleverest observations and wittiest jokes. She suggested we live together our first year of college and I was thrilled.

But during that year of living with Lisa, I grew to dislike her with an intensity equal to or greater than my earlier affection. Her “outrageous stories” became infuriating, and everything she did felt manipulative. I hated being in the same room with her. We stopped speaking to one another that

year and have barely spoken since. What happened? Was I petty or competitive? Where did that hatred come from?