With a "Y" the Stages of Friendship.

The Introduction.

“Y” is one of my oldest friends; I met him shortly after my first remembered city to city move. It was the first day of the 6^th grade, and for me it was a new town, and new school. Till then school had not been overly pleasant for me, I was bullied at both of my previous schools, didn't really fit in and at that point I was thinking “at least I knew people at my old school, and here I don’t know anyone.” But it being elementary school in a small town, and me being in french immersion it didn’t take long for “Y” to come over and ask me first if I was “Brooke” as what I thought was a joke to which I only responded with a shake of my head in the negative. Then he asked if I was “Tommy”, and once again I shook my head except this time in the affirmative. And from there he told me to come and wait with him because we were in the same class. It was a grade 6/7 split, which I don’t think is actually all that uncommon for French immersion classes, he was grade 7, and as mentioned above I was in 6^th.

The beginning.

Now the friendship between me and Y didn’t grow out of geography, where we went to summer camp (because we went to two separate summer camps), it didn’t grown out of me thinking of him being an older or younger brother type thing, it wasn’t a matter of me being inspired by him or aspired to be him, or for any of man other reasons. But our friendship had sprung from something much simpler. Our friendship came from having similar interests, things like Lego, Legend of Zelda, collecting things, the first Matrix movie, as well any number of other RPG video games. And we complimented each other quite well.

But then I moved. And I had thought that was it. It was another friendship that had ended because I had moved again. It wasn’t nice, it was by no means good in my eyes, but at that time I had accepted it.

The Return.

Then an opportunity for me to return to the town I thought I’d said goodbye to. And so I jumped at it, not because I expected to see the people I knew but because I enjoyed the town itself. (Also not just because visiting also happened to mean that I would be missing school.) Then by pure coincidence during some of the, well I guess you could call it, free time, I went out with a couple other people for what was supposed to be a brisk walk. But who should I come across, but Y himself and his at then girlfriend. And we got talking, only for a short while because we were both busy for the rest of that day. But before I left, we proceeded to meet up again several times that weekend. Before the weekend was over we had agreed to keep in touch and so we did, electronically of course, at that time meant through MSN messenger and myspace. This time when we parted I had no doubt we would see each other again.

And we have seen each other since, several times in fact. And on more than one of these such occasions happened to be instances where we stayed at each other’s houses for days at a time.

Post script: He had this nickname in a somewhat self-imposed manner. Because though he had a somewhat common name, rather than it being spelled normally it unconventionally had a “Y” where commonly there is an “I”.

Why I don’t say “Goodbye”

Now the title gives away what I will be talking about today, but I should probably clarify a little. I won’t just leave without saying something… most of the time; I won’t just leave the conversation without some sense of ending. I will use other “parting remarks”, “exit greetings” or whatever else you want to call conversation enders like bye, later, see you, next time, or anything like it just not “Goodbye” itself, that I just absolutely abhor using. But I will use it, when I think it’s appropriate, “Goodbye” is not one of those few words that rarely ever pass my lips.

Now my reluctance to say “goodbye” has nothing to do with its’ origin being “God be with you” and my religious beliefs though someone else probably could and possibly has made that argument. But for the past long while “Good-bye” has just has this air of both formality and finality to it. Now in saying that, Farewell has also has the same feeling except in different degrees. Let me try to explain this a little better. With an example, it might be easier, this might not be a pleasant example but here it goes. So farewells, they are what you say at a funeral. They are the last Good-bye. Now Good-byes are what you would say in the hospital, because with Good-bye there is always the possibility of coming back from that. “Good-bye” is not necessarily forever, but it could be. From my experience, saying something has ended does not necessarily mean that it has, the saying that “it’s not over until it’s over” is so very true, but also not always. And I don’t think there is a single word that can really ever end something, but as words are what we use, the proper use of them is something that I highly seek.

With English being such a wide and varied language it is certainly possible for words to have more specific meanings than they currently have.

Post Script: Getting back on a regular posting schedule has become more difficult than I thought. Also this isn’t definitive; I still use “Goodbye” when it’s not forever, or formal. Sometimes it just feels right.

I don't know about you But I'm feeling 24

So with a new tradition that I started last year when near to my birthday I gave 23 pieces of unsolicited advice. Except this year I can't give you 23 things, so I will share 24 things about me that you probably didn't know before. Or maybe you did in which case. Good for you. (and this is why I don't ad-lib blog posts.) Also I am sorry for my laziness, uninspiration, and general lack of postingness. (And there I go making up words.)

Before I get even more distracted here I go.

1. To keep my hands busy I make paper cranes out of post-it notes.
2. I've taught my tongue to tie cherry stems in knots, because I thought it might make me a better kisser.
3. And yet I've never been kissed.
4. I couldn't snap my fingers until after I graduated High School.
5. I got the scar on my left thumb from a broken glass bottle is what I tell people, what I don't tell them is that I got it because I used to dumpster dive for cans because I couldn't afford to get an allowance.
6. It wasn't until two weeks ago that I owned all 7 Harry Potter novels.
7. Spider-Man and the X-Men have always been my preferred superheroes because they were picked on just like I was.
8. When I was younger I wanted to be the green power ranger because we shared a used name.
9. My first name is Franklin, but i go by Tommy, a contraction of my middle name: Thomas.
10. I cry far more often than I admit.
11. I regret how judgmental I was in high school.
12. My first time drunk I declared that I was Batman my second time drunk I accused my cousin of being an X-Men mutant.
13. My first celebrity crushes were the Olsen twins, my first irl crush was also a pair of twins.
14. I am not worried about losing my mind, I've already accepted that it will happen.
15. I greatly desire to be a father, and no raise a child in a single parent home.
16. I also have name possibilities picked out.
17. I don't drink enough water, and i know this but don't do anything about it.
18. I like going to the movies alone just as much as with people.
19. I've got a "thing" for redheads and before that it was blondes, but realistically hair colour hasn't been all that big of a deal, or at least not as much as eye colour.
20. My attraction to Natalie Portman has a lot to do with her having been in Star Wars, even if it was the prequels.
21. I am convinced that when I see her I will just know. 
22. I don't read/watch the news because it makes me angry, and I feel like I should do something about it. But all I can think to do is deliver vigilante justice.
23. I had a dream last week about teaching the ethical culinary preparation and serving of human meat.
24. I'm worried I won't find someone because I am too worried she would end up getting hurt.

Post Script: I purposely posted this after my birthday, because I felt like after being 24 for a day could help me write this alas I was right-ish.