Back In The USSA
Yes kids that's right I butchered a Beatles song with the title. Get over it. Love those Beatles. McCartney actually split with his wife recently, I don't know if you guys hear about it over here. Big story in Britain. I mean, like the Queen turning out to be a lesbian big. Even though that would never happen, it would be pretty big if it did. I haven't put an actual entry in here in forever, or at least close to forever.
Today children, I will muse on the values and pitfalls of friendship. Of which, I am sure you are aware of, there are many. Values will be the start of our program this evening. There have been many brilliant men who have discussed the meanings and criteria of the "True Friend" and what I've found after perusing their thoughts is that a "True" one boils down to a singular quality that while it seems ridiculously simple is in fact one of the most difficult things in this Google World to find. I'm sure more than a few of us have found ourselves reeling when a person we thought was a "True Friend" suddenly whirls around and spews forth words and prejudices against you that you find yourself shocked. Awed, even. I, personally have never been in the habit of making a lot of "friends" I enjoy more often the company of aquintances. And I have no idea if I spelled that right. But what I found in England, much to my surprise, were people I could be "True Friends" with. These were people who had gone through what I had, who had experienced the myriad of rollercoaster ride expatriat culture shocks. People who understood why I was the way I was. And it happened instantly. Not to say that my friends in the States are anything but understand and compassionate. They know me, or at least some of them do, better than I know myself. But they will never fully grasp me, and it took them a long time to get as far as they have. In England, I was surprised that I could be exactly as I was and I was still accepted. Such is the nature of "True Friends", of course there were rows and arguments over things but they always ended up resolving themselves in the end, the other parties were always willing to hear the others side.
And now I have returned, I have come back to the place that I once found myself wishing night after night I had never left. And now, when my mind escapes my grasp for a few moments I find myself wishing that I had never come back. This place is no longer home to me, in the same way that England never became home. It's hard to quantify with words, but the feeling of belonging neither here, nor there. It's tough. And I knew, as I flew about 33,000 feet over the Earth's surface hovering somewhere above Greenland, I knew that it would be tough. I knew that I would think quite frequently about all the "True Friends" I had met and made in England but I consoled myself that I would at least have some "True Friends" to make the transition back to America easier.
It seems I was only half right.
Today children, I will muse on the values and pitfalls of friendship. Of which, I am sure you are aware of, there are many. Values will be the start of our program this evening. There have been many brilliant men who have discussed the meanings and criteria of the "True Friend" and what I've found after perusing their thoughts is that a "True" one boils down to a singular quality that while it seems ridiculously simple is in fact one of the most difficult things in this Google World to find. I'm sure more than a few of us have found ourselves reeling when a person we thought was a "True Friend" suddenly whirls around and spews forth words and prejudices against you that you find yourself shocked. Awed, even. I, personally have never been in the habit of making a lot of "friends" I enjoy more often the company of aquintances. And I have no idea if I spelled that right. But what I found in England, much to my surprise, were people I could be "True Friends" with. These were people who had gone through what I had, who had experienced the myriad of rollercoaster ride expatriat culture shocks. People who understood why I was the way I was. And it happened instantly. Not to say that my friends in the States are anything but understand and compassionate. They know me, or at least some of them do, better than I know myself. But they will never fully grasp me, and it took them a long time to get as far as they have. In England, I was surprised that I could be exactly as I was and I was still accepted. Such is the nature of "True Friends", of course there were rows and arguments over things but they always ended up resolving themselves in the end, the other parties were always willing to hear the others side.
And now I have returned, I have come back to the place that I once found myself wishing night after night I had never left. And now, when my mind escapes my grasp for a few moments I find myself wishing that I had never come back. This place is no longer home to me, in the same way that England never became home. It's hard to quantify with words, but the feeling of belonging neither here, nor there. It's tough. And I knew, as I flew about 33,000 feet over the Earth's surface hovering somewhere above Greenland, I knew that it would be tough. I knew that I would think quite frequently about all the "True Friends" I had met and made in England but I consoled myself that I would at least have some "True Friends" to make the transition back to America easier.
It seems I was only half right.