This post is a part of the Reverb11 movement, which this year gives participants the opportunity to completely personalize the experience. Each day I am choosing prompts that call me to write. One of the prompts I chose today came from #Resound11:
Who is the Thelma to your Louise? Who is your partner in crime? Did you reacquaint yourself with an old friend? Did you make a new friend? Or, perhaps, you are a lone ranger?
I take the concept of “Best Friend” very seriously.
I haven’t had a single best friend for most of my adult life. I have had dear friends, I have had friends who consider me as one of their “posse” of best friends.
I have longed for a Best Friend, a one and only, an intimate companion to experience life alongside.
I briefly had a friend like this a few years ago, but that friend opted to disappear from contact. Once again, I was friend-adrift. It wasn’t comfortable though it was familiar from years without a best friend.
A couple years ago I made a new friend.
We seemed very well suited: especially on paper.
We were both involved in the arts. My friend was more heavily cloaked in academia and I am more of a “blue collar” artist. I am untrained, unschooled and hopelessly passionate about many art forms.
I alternately thought my friend was a snob or didn’t understand or had arrogance so thick I just might have to chip it off before we became better friends. I even thought, more than once, that this friendship was taking more from me than I wanted.
I almost deserted the friendship.
And then, something happened.
In October, 2011, I experienced a major crisis. It was one of those times you call upon your friends and you discover who amongst those people is actually a dear friend and who isn’t.
This cantankerous, artful, academic and sometimes frustrating friend became my anchor. He was my champion. He steered the rudder when I could no longer hold on. He spoke in a soothing voice and reassured me when I felt like I was going under.
Since then my world has shifted radically. I cannot imagine my life without him.
We are collaborators, beloveds, best friends, critics, guides and supporters of each other. We give each other space to roam and an invitation, always, to return.
I am not sure who is Thelma and who is Louise in this relationship.
I think we switch off from time to time. Specifics don’t concern me. Our deep friendship not only concerns me, it delights me. I hope and pray it delights me for a long time to come.
I am Julie Jordan Scott ~ and this is one of my Reverb11 posts. This year, the Reverb Community is taking an individualized approach to this life changing initiative. I am answering several prompts a day in short snippets during either a 30 minute or 60 minute wordsprint. I look forward to reading other Reverb11ers writing & if you are unfamiliar, just use the prompt and use the #reverb11 hashtag on twitter. You'll have a blast!
Follow me on Twitter: @JulieJordanScot
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© 2011
Julie Jordan Scott
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