Monday, June 11, 2007

Manic Monday #16: Friend

Today's Manic Monday word is "friend." Check out Morgen's blog for other takes on the theme.

You know how it is on those social networks like MySpace and Friendster, where the user's popularity is measured by how many "friends" she or he has in the network? That's fun stuff, but how many of us actually have something like 839 friends in real life?

I certainly don't. The number of friends I have I can count on the fingers of one hand. And today I'd like to talk a bit about two of them.



Whaaaat? This is my blog, I'll post pics of myself whenever I want to. I'm just as much a publicity whore as these two, especially when I'm the one who's in control. :-D

I worked for almost ten years for a company that shall remain unnamed, and it was there that I met these two, Marnie and Rudy. Funny thing is, I only became really close to them a few months before I left that company (for reasons pertaining to management that sucked big time that shall also go unspecified). I don't want to get into the specifics of our friendship. Suffice it to say that they've never failed to be there just when I needed a friend most -- even those times I didn't raise an SOS. They're always there; it's like they have a sixth sense that alerts them when one is in need of another. I trust these two totally, absolutely. They're two of the handful of people with whom I can be truly myself. They don't go to pains to make me feel prettier or uglier than what I am; with them, I am free to be me, without recrimination. I can let my hair down and go naked. Well, maybe not literally. They would puke. Especially Rudy, who's gay. I can't even begin to describe the insults he regularly heaps upon female genitalia.

Anyway, we aren't the in-your-face kind of friends. Sometimes weeks go by without us talking to each other. But, there's this unspoken understanding that each one is only a phone call away and that nothing is too big or too small to share.

Laughter, there's always laughter. The side-splitting, cheek-cramping sort. Then there are tears too. A person should be able to count on true friends when she needs a shoulder to cry on and when she needs a sympathetic and compassionate ear, that goes without saying (but I did anyway). And provide a strong arm to support their friend as she hunkers down to embrace the toilet to spew her guts out because she drank a few more bottles than she was supposed to. :-) They provide those, sure. But they go beyond that. Sometimes they tell me things I don't want to hear, but which they believe I should anyway. I think it takes quite a bit of trust and love between all parties for them to be secure enough to say to a suffering person "You're such a pathetic dumbass" and for said suffering person not only to accept that statement but be grateful that said friends could say such a thing in a straightforward manner and still feel just how much they care.

I'm having trouble trying to encapsulate in a few words just how much these two mean to me. Sometimes I wonder and feel guilty that I'm not as good a friend to them as they are to me.

I love them.

I guess that's the best and only way I can say it. I love them even more than I love chocolate (or even *gasp* beer). I can practically hear them retching now. :-)

Oh, can anyone tell me what "Maximo" means? A beloved friend called me that recently and won't tell me why. The crazy smartass. Ohh, how he makes me laugh.




35 comments:

Ian said...

It's wonderful that you have a couple of friends that close. I've found a few in my life, but people like that are indeed few and far between and you're fortunate to have them.

It's still Sunday here on my side of the date line. I'll post my MM in about 13 hours from now.

Ian

Gumby said...

I have a couple of friends that I would describe in the same words that you did. And something tells me that they feel the same about you, sweety. They'd be insane not to!

BTW - my first visit for a week or 2 - love the new look of your blog!

Maryanne Moll said...

I can sooo relate to having only very few friends with whom I coiuld let my guard down completely. The rest are okay, and they are good people, but for some reason, the friends we choose to be close to are the ones that feel like our soulmates.

Scott from Oregon said...

I'm still trying to get past the legs...

Travis Cody said...

I've developed a couple friendships like that since I've been in Washington. They came through for me last summer. And I would do the same for them.

And post away with the pictures.

**whistle whistle**

Anonymous said...

As always, young Lizza, you're right. I'm a tad older than you and I've only got a few friends - mind you I'm horrible and smelly and grumpy.
Mmmmmmmm, perhaps you're not as nice as you seem to be.

ShadowFalcon said...

Goo friends are rare, hold on to them when you find them

Shaz said...

I'm pleased I have a few quality friends rather than a number of fickle ones, great post x x x

H said...

My best friend, among all the other amazing things she's done for me, has also been on the most shuddersome double dates for me. I can't understand how, now, but she has.

Best friends really rock.

Lizza said...

Ian: We don't have a high-maintenance kind of friendship. I don't know if that's right, but it works for us anyway.

Loved your MM post!

Gumby: I hope they do, but they'd eat broken glass before they say it to my face. :-D

Maryanne: Exactly. And disagreements with them can be fun too. :-)

Scott: He does have nice legs, doesn't he? ;-)

DaddyP: I hope to be as erudite as you when I get to your age. Smelliness is easily remedied: get the TG to give you a long, hot bath.

Shadowfalcon: That's true, even though sometimes I want to kill them.

Shaz: Me too! Thanks. :-)

H: Haha! Now that's a great thing to do for a friend.

Lizza said...

Travis: That's good to know. Giving is an essential part of friendship.

And thanks for the wolf whistle! Haha!

Anonymous said...

Can't help you with Maximo, Lizza. But I enjoyed this tribute to your friends. Women need more than their husbands day-to-day--they need friends, too. So glad you have some you can count on. Nice post.

Durward Discussion said...

Thank you for a good laugh and a chance to meet your friends if only from a distance.

Durward Discussion said...

P.S. If your friend is into video games, this might be Maximo

Maximo

Schmoop said...

'Friend", one of my favorite words..."Laughter" one of my favorite sounds. Cheers Lizza.

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

I'm having trouble trying to encapsulate in a few words just how much these two mean to me

You did perfectly...

Greetings my friend...

Natalia said...

I have been making a lot more time for my friends. But, also, I have been reevaluating who really is a friend. Sometimes you have to clean house. It's all good.

-N

Merritt Fields said...

To have one good friend like that is a blessing. To have two...amazing!

Anonymous said...

wonderful post--really true friends are hard to come by but when you have one, it's a treasure. Have a great day.

Kiyotoe said...

i take that word, "friends" so seriously that i probably don't have many friends as it would appear to the outside world.

but there are a few and it feels good when you know you always have someone in your corner like that.

and then there's my blogosphere posse, you guys are a whole other story. But a good one. ;)

Sandee said...

Maximo - Latin for great (I think). Great or greatest. That's a good thing. Happy MM. :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this wonderful tribute, Liz - and for your cute birthday wishes, too.

Sandee is right - "Maximo" is Latin, means "the greatest"... like Deo Optimo Maximo - to god, the best and greatest.

Have a wonderful day, Maximo =)

Lizza said...

Gem: Thanks. I don't know where I'd be without them. :-)

Jamie: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. And a video game reference, cool!

Matt: Excellent revelation, my friend.

Bond: Thank you. You always make me feel so appreciated. :-)

Natalia: I understand. It's a tough thing to do but necessary sometimes.

Aisby: I'm so lucky, I know.

Tegdirb92: Absolutely. I hope I never take them for granted.

Kiyotoe: Blogosphere posse, I like that!

Sandee: Oh, haha! That is nice. Thanks! Have a great day.

Birthday grrrl: I'm pleased you liked it. You're a great, helpful friend and I'm privileged to know you. Have a great day, Saint Sanni!

Foofa said...

Wait, has he seen male genitalia lately? Talk about funny looking.

Anonymous said...

Uy inday, apir tayo diyan! (friendster profiles with hundreds of listed "friends"...WTF?)

Eniweeyyy, i think the older you get the more you realise you only need a few but loyal friends. In friendship, it's the only thing that really matters.

Haaayyy.... paki DHL/FEDEX mo nga ako ng makaka-ibigan dito sa lintek na Barnsley! Walang gustong makipag kaibigan sakin dito eh! Dinededma ako ng mga hunghang na utaw!!!

PS... kaw talaga, may nalalaman ka pang Maximo! kurutin ko yang singit mo dyan...!

Michael C said...

Ain't nothing like real, dear friends!!

JR's Thumbprints said...

I realize that some people are more popular than others; however, I must agree: a person probably has no more than a handful of true friends.

Lizza said...

Natalie: He's gay, he thinks male genitalia are works of art. I think they're kinda cute too. :-D

Billy no mates: Sige, ife-fedex ko sarili ko, si HB, at si H. At wag singit ko ang kurutin mo ha. Wala akong sala. :-D

Michael: That's true!

JR: Popularity carries its own set of problems, I think people like them need real friends even more.

Anonymous said...

Hey, we have the same best friend. Why don't we ask her who she thinks is her bestest friend :> She did say i'm the one when we were together, only the two of us, just last week :>

D12

Lizza said...

Duduy, does it matter? I know you're her bestest friend. But her heart is big enough to accommodate a few others. :-)

Odat said...

I have a few friends like that and it's sooo wonderful to know that they're there, no matter how much time passes since we've even spoken to one another...It's truly a blessing...
Peace

Lizza said...

Yes, it is, Odat. I love them, but did I mention that I want to kill them sometimes? Just saying. :-)

houseband00 said...

Maximo is, dear Liz, described as being utterly, definitely, extremely, the shiznitly cool.

Just like you. =)

Lizza said...

Shiznitly cool. Haha! That's cute. Thanks!

CS said...

Good friends are worth their weight in gold. One interesting by-product of my life of late is that I'm discovering who the true friends are. It's good to know.