Friends
You know, its hard to say sometimes what really makes us happy. Sometimes, it's doing a certain thing we love, or visiting a place special to us in some way. it's interesting though, how much more enjoyable these experiences become with just the simple added presence of another human being, or even animal, of whom we are fond. We may even find some things enjoyable because of the very people we once shared or currently share them with. So, today, I'm going to talk about friends and what they mean to me in my new "This American Life" style of blogging. You can read more about what "This American Life" is at thislife.org.
Today's entry in three acts ...
***
Megan is no ordinary person. Megan is a hippie. At least, that's the group I generalized her under, but I'm sure any one of our mutual friends at MSU would agree that is an accurate statement. She's into Eastern traditions, "respect and balance," folk music, saving the environment, "doing what feels right," oh yeah, and peace. What's important about Megan is that she is very real. Whenever I had some kind of social problem, usually concerning a relationship, I would immediately seek her help. Besides the fact that Megan is a girl and therefore, as I saw it, already fit to answer my aching questions into the female psyche, I knew she'd have an insight into the problem that I didn't think of. Being raised Catholic and leaving high school with what I thought of as a firmly established foundation on life, I was not aware of the wisdom I could still acquire from other methods of thinking. Hence, the impact of Megan on my life.
Megan got a boyfriend during our second semester of school, and though we saw less of each other, our friendship never decayed. She's off to India for a year on a study abroad program, and tonight was the last night I got to see her before her flight out in ten days or so. We talked like we always did about relationships and where life has taken us thus far. It didn't dawn on us until we were about to part ways that we had said nothing of what we wanted to - about how much of an influence we've had on each other. She started to tear up when we finally did do this, but I think since tonight was overseen as an ending it shows how far our friendship can go - that just being around each other takes away time and space and we both can just really enjoy it.
***
On the way home tonight I wondered why I was not brought to tears like Megan. Maybe because I didn't feel a complete end to this friendship, that it would go on through email and phone as usual (facebook, you know. Don't sweat it, LJ). I tried to think who in my life would bring me to a feeling comparable to my perception of Megan's. One in particular comes to mind considering an event that took place at the 2007 RHS Graduation Ceremony. [Btw, my congratulations to all the graduates. I quite enjoyed the speeches]. My last two years of high school I took a course that expanded my interests to a whole new genre of media. Broadcasting. And, as most of you know, every morning the class was in charge of a closed-circut TV broadcast. To make a long story short, it became my second love, next to music, primarily because of my one teacher, Chris Hoey. Mr. Hoey was an english and broadcasting teacher at RHS having before been a part of show business himself working for Nickelodeon as a script supervisor on shows like All That and Kenan & Kel. His humor was dry, corny, but witty, his taste in music was eccentric but appreciative, and insight became yet another intellectual stimulus for me. Having seen him surprisingly after the graduation ceremony (he moved out of state) almost brought tears to my eyes. My drive to do radio and other broadcasting-related things on campus throughout the year after his teaching made me believe he had changed my life. He became more than a teacher. He became a role model, a mentor, a true friend.
***
For the past two years we've noticed at my house that a local rabbit has taken a liking to our backyard. I remember in high school seeing a rabbit scurry off into the shadows when I would arrive home at night from marching band or a late night with friends. Now I'm guessing its the same one, but we noticed it's been back more and more than usual. One day we noticed, in the middle of our backyard, a hole with some dryed grass and what looked like shed rabbit fur covering it. I immediately thought, "What an honor!" How often does a rabbit in a suburban neighborhood pick your backyard to bear its children? Ok, maybe I was a little excited, but this rarely happens to us. My grandpa said, "Oh yeah, I've got three in my backyard." He lives in Tom's River. Thinks his backyard is practically a wildlife preserve. Anyway, upon return to our house from church, we came across four baby rabbits outside the hole with their mother close by. And it was so nice to see them, like a neighbor's newborn you've been hearing about but never seen. You get almost a sense of pride knowing your friendship to this animal helped create life. The mother rabbit apparently considers us its friend, and we're happy to return the favor.
Well that does it for me tonight. Never thought I'd be writing this much ever in an entry. And if it's boring, please tell me. Feedback is always welcome.
Goodnight.
Today's entry in three acts ...
***
Megan is no ordinary person. Megan is a hippie. At least, that's the group I generalized her under, but I'm sure any one of our mutual friends at MSU would agree that is an accurate statement. She's into Eastern traditions, "respect and balance," folk music, saving the environment, "doing what feels right," oh yeah, and peace. What's important about Megan is that she is very real. Whenever I had some kind of social problem, usually concerning a relationship, I would immediately seek her help. Besides the fact that Megan is a girl and therefore, as I saw it, already fit to answer my aching questions into the female psyche, I knew she'd have an insight into the problem that I didn't think of. Being raised Catholic and leaving high school with what I thought of as a firmly established foundation on life, I was not aware of the wisdom I could still acquire from other methods of thinking. Hence, the impact of Megan on my life.
Megan got a boyfriend during our second semester of school, and though we saw less of each other, our friendship never decayed. She's off to India for a year on a study abroad program, and tonight was the last night I got to see her before her flight out in ten days or so. We talked like we always did about relationships and where life has taken us thus far. It didn't dawn on us until we were about to part ways that we had said nothing of what we wanted to - about how much of an influence we've had on each other. She started to tear up when we finally did do this, but I think since tonight was overseen as an ending it shows how far our friendship can go - that just being around each other takes away time and space and we both can just really enjoy it.
***
On the way home tonight I wondered why I was not brought to tears like Megan. Maybe because I didn't feel a complete end to this friendship, that it would go on through email and phone as usual (facebook, you know. Don't sweat it, LJ). I tried to think who in my life would bring me to a feeling comparable to my perception of Megan's. One in particular comes to mind considering an event that took place at the 2007 RHS Graduation Ceremony. [Btw, my congratulations to all the graduates. I quite enjoyed the speeches]. My last two years of high school I took a course that expanded my interests to a whole new genre of media. Broadcasting. And, as most of you know, every morning the class was in charge of a closed-circut TV broadcast. To make a long story short, it became my second love, next to music, primarily because of my one teacher, Chris Hoey. Mr. Hoey was an english and broadcasting teacher at RHS having before been a part of show business himself working for Nickelodeon as a script supervisor on shows like All That and Kenan & Kel. His humor was dry, corny, but witty, his taste in music was eccentric but appreciative, and insight became yet another intellectual stimulus for me. Having seen him surprisingly after the graduation ceremony (he moved out of state) almost brought tears to my eyes. My drive to do radio and other broadcasting-related things on campus throughout the year after his teaching made me believe he had changed my life. He became more than a teacher. He became a role model, a mentor, a true friend.
***
For the past two years we've noticed at my house that a local rabbit has taken a liking to our backyard. I remember in high school seeing a rabbit scurry off into the shadows when I would arrive home at night from marching band or a late night with friends. Now I'm guessing its the same one, but we noticed it's been back more and more than usual. One day we noticed, in the middle of our backyard, a hole with some dryed grass and what looked like shed rabbit fur covering it. I immediately thought, "What an honor!" How often does a rabbit in a suburban neighborhood pick your backyard to bear its children? Ok, maybe I was a little excited, but this rarely happens to us. My grandpa said, "Oh yeah, I've got three in my backyard." He lives in Tom's River. Thinks his backyard is practically a wildlife preserve. Anyway, upon return to our house from church, we came across four baby rabbits outside the hole with their mother close by. And it was so nice to see them, like a neighbor's newborn you've been hearing about but never seen. You get almost a sense of pride knowing your friendship to this animal helped create life. The mother rabbit apparently considers us its friend, and we're happy to return the favor.
Well that does it for me tonight. Never thought I'd be writing this much ever in an entry. And if it's boring, please tell me. Feedback is always welcome.
Goodnight.