I’ve just been on Facebook checking on my best friend. I lose track of her because she’s awesome and has better things to do than stay in her house wiping counters and noses and butts and obsessing about wool all day long.
My friend is a wilderness adventure kayak guide. If you’ve been to Antarctica to spend $10,000 on a weekend of camping on a polar ice cap and getting close to Emperor penguins and minke whales, you might have met her. She’d have been the tall blonde amazon who knows everything and can save your life any number of ways.
I’m sure a lot of people have friends like her (well, nobody’s LIKE her), who they met and had adventures with, back in the day. I guess you could say that much of my connection with her is a subconscious desire to be what I was, when we first met.
We were on the UVic women’s rowing team together…though she rowed in a different eight than I did. We used to eat huge amounts of food, laugh until my neighbours complained, and fall asleep while watching movies late at night. We had to get up at 4.45 to get to the boathouse by 5.30, but it didn’t matter because we were amazingly strong and hot and invincible.
Now, I’m tired and harried, stretch marked, and I have quite a bit of grey in my hair.
Whereas my friend, may she live forever (and if anyone could, she would), is this woman.
And also this one
Conquering Greenland, if you’re wondering.
Jealous – sure. Self-pitying – yeah, okay. Overwhelmed with gratitude and love, just that she’s still in my life – absolutely.
7 comments:
Nothing wrong with obsessing about wool all day long.
I just found out one of my defacto former roommates (best f's ex-bf) just finished his doctorate and was hired by a university in London, ENGLAND to teach. I will admit to no small amount of jealousy on that one.
Love and envy. That's what this post makes me feel.
With a little relief for not needing to get up at 4:45 or for camping on icebergs.
Aw, gee, I was hoping that post would go on longer! She IS amazing... long may she reign.
It is good to have best friends. She seems like an amazing one. May you be friends forever and ever.
What a nice tribute.
I think I just fell in love.
So do you think it's even slightly possible that when she is sleeping in a pup tent somewhere, while forest creatures creep about, that she ever forms your picture in her mind and feels envy and a twinge of self pity ... I'm guessing maybe.
Post a Comment