2002-06-15 - 9:00 a.m. you took me near you took me far, up to the highest brightest star I planned to be at the farmers' market by now. Given my 10:30 brunch date w/a friend, I'm clearly not going to make it there at all this week...That's OK though. I stayed in bed extra long, enjoying the cozy warmth of my bed and lazy early morning dreams that made me smile. Surprisingly, my charming cat was not approving of this behavior. You see, he prefers to be fed his breakfast no later than 7 a.m. Thus, he's been on a rampage all morning. I nearly lost a leg while getting back into bed with a cup of coffee to read the newspaper! Bad kitty. Have I recorded in these pages how much I loathe using the telephone? It's true. In high school, I had my own line and spent hours talking on the phone to friends...including one who lived exactly 1 house away. Now, I mostly use the phone for transactional purposes (i.e."let's meet at Xspot at Xtime" or "where the hell are you?") I prefer talking in person, or, if that's not possible (such as for friends who live far away), using email. To me, the telephone has all the worst qualities of the other 2 communication modes: you can't see a person's expressions and you can't take the time to sort through your words before sharing them. That said, I have spent more than my telephone quota for the month in the past week. Last night involved a lengthy call with a friend going through major life changes who needed some support, which I am most happy to give. It was a case of finally achieving one's goals, only to then be beset with fears, stress, and anxiety. It was exacerbated by a phone call from a family member who did not have the best intentions. I think I was able to help my friend see that it's OK to work through stress, and it's natural to freak out when you finally reach your goals...it doesn't make you crazy -- it makes you human. And your friends want to help you make it through periods of stress and trauma. So,in the words this friend used on me this time last year, "Let your friends be needed! Let them help *you* for once!" I am always available to help my friends out by holding their hand when they're scared, giving them a hug when they're crying, or just listening when they need someone to validate their sanity. And even if you freak out, behave really badly, or hibernate for a while to deal with your problems, your friends will still love you. That's my definition of being a friend. xoxo almostgoldsf any comments? (0 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09