Representation and Misconception

My good friend, Carriecake, is probably my most emotionally inuitive friends that I have, not that I don't love you all the same. She's someone I seek out when I need intense emotional advice since I usually act more like a robot than a human. I have my friend Kim for no-nonsense approaches to life that most mirror my own. There's Amy, whose calming demeanor and approach at work are exactly what I need most days to keep me sane. Not to mention Rosa when I need a bit of crazy, Dahnya when I need a bit whimsy (and a good book chat), Catherine when boys are dumb, there's coffee to be had and Scrabble to be played, and Chrissie when I want to expound upon the wonders (and ridiculousness) of societal norms and activities.

First excursion to RenFest with Carriecake and it was glorious.



So young...no clue we'd become such ne'er-do-wells. Love ya, KimBoodram!



Best birthday'splosion ever, Ames!



Nice rack, Rosa. Oooooh, Amy's ice cream, we do love you!



The most stunning bride ever...who wouldn't want to marry that face? You're the best, D!



Bitter beer face for the old lady, Catherine.



Why does this feel so long ago?

All my faithful blog readers, all my good friends, all befriended for their own unique reason.

Carrie put it so succinctly the other night when I finally coralled her onto the phone. Imagine herding cats, if you will...

"If only men could see us as our best girlfriends do."

What a sublime statement. So astute. So cut and dry. If a man could see me as all these ladies (and many more) do, he would see loyalty, kindness, hilarity, insanity, cleverness and a huge heart. He would also see neurosies unbeknownst to most men and would know far too much about a woman's body. But in all, he'd know exactly what he could be spending his time with and what he would be buying whenever he decided to put a ring on it.

He'd also know when the words coming out of my mouth are meant to be ignored and when to be taken seriously. He'd know that not everything I say has something hidden behind it though, let's be honest, sometimes it slips out. "What's wrong?"..."Nothing," I reply, petulantly, when in fact, I'm really annoyed that you didn't do, say or claim X, Y or Z.

Our girlfriends see us at our best and our worst and love us all the same. We can open up to them and be accepted, not rejected. They know us. I realize that to have a strong relationship with a counterpart, eventually they will also see and know you as your girlfriends do. It's just the getting there that's tough...

Life just can't be that easy, now can it? Shucks.