Sherry Hightower
Sher • ry High • tow • er [SHER-ee HAHY-tou-er]
— noun
- a particular woman residing in Cambridge, MA.
- a particular woman, 28 years old, white, blonde ponytail, cat eyes, Roman nose, high breasts in profile, cheek dimple (left, upper), proportioned like a palindrome.
- a very particular woman to Bill Thompson.
Synonyms: Lively, charismatic, spontaneous, light-as-a-daisy, electric, optimistic, adventuresome, erotic, The One, the-one-that-got-away, one-of-a-kind, a satisfying person, a person satisfied.
Antonyms: Bill Thompson.
— adjective
- with whimsical abandon, as in Bill and she enjoyed a Sherry Hightower day: role-playing rich on Newbury Street, racing down the steps at Faneuil Hall, and kissing in dark corners of North End streets at dusk.
- free of societal norms, particularly negative ones, as in Ever since he met her, Bill had felt Sherry Hightower in life, as though working that extra hour at the office didn't matter as much as seeing the sun go down, or as if his choice of tie was less essential than his choice of ethnic restaurant.
- feeling relieved of one's inadequacies, as in With her, Bill was Sherry Hightower, no longer nursing old love wounds; he was done with being boring, through with self-loathing and the safe and patterned life he'd built.
In Astronomy: Leo. Also, comet-esque.
In Geology: Rock climbing on weekends, marbles, peridot earrings, B- in college (but the professor was awful), volcano hike in Costa Rica, disappointed by the size of the actual Plymouth Rock, skipping stones on the Charles River, Mick Jagger poster, no rock on her finger.
In Literature: "La Belle Dame Sans Merci."
Vulgar (as a verb): Sherry Hightower's mouth was an electric socket shocking Bill back to life, his hair and fingertips singed. Her thighs and he devoured each other like dueling Tyrannosaurus jaws. She applied Eastern lotions. She cooed: "Does someone need a little Sherry Hightowering?" He had never. He had only fantasized. She made him beg: "Sherry Hightower me. Sherry Hightower me now, like that, yes."
— verb
- walking with a certain awe and self-confidence, as one who has been rescued from the void suddenly understands the flowers, woodland critters, and catchphrases in pop songs. Bill Sherry Hightowered through the day and rediscovered the beauty of his life and the world around him.
- re-evaluating one's life in light of a recent catharsis and taking action to change it. Once Bill started, he couldn't stop Sherry Hightowering: he quit the soul-crushing firm, he bought a house and a ring. He had never done anything so brash in his life. Sherry Hightower was the definition of what he wanted in life. She redefined him.
In Karma: Sherry Hightower wanted a man who would inspire her in return.
In All Honesty: Bill Thompson didn't. It wasn't her fault that he was blinded by easily ignited passions, so quick to crown her queen.
Slang: When a particular uninspiring man is rejuvenated by a new romantic partner; when he feeds off her energy; when he suddenly uses words like "instant," and "kismet," and "soul"; when he expounds on the cosmos; when he is Copernicus and when he is Keats, and all thanks to Cupid who snapped arrows through every chamber of his heart, so that he bleeds with life; she kisses him four times; she salts and savors every slice of him so that he is avocado on her tongue; when he is purpose, food, and potion (Oh at last!) and then, when she says no, "Sorry Bill, but no" — it is said that he's been Sherry Hightowered.
For Bill Thomp • son [BIL TOMP-suhn] see Sherry Hightower.
Aaron Devine is a freelance writer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His most recent work is Wonder/Wander: 522 Days in Latin America, a literary scrapbook combining poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction prose to tell the stories of the people and places he knew as a 23-year-old American living in communities off the tourist trail from Nicaragua to Argentina. You can find Aaron's web site at www.aarondevine.net.