Friday, February 27, 2009

The weird friend . . .

The Weird Friend.

There’s one in every crowd. That friend that you have, that you love, simply because. That friend that knows things that you wouldn’t think of knowing. That friend that makes you shake your head in wonder.

Last spring I went on a road trip with my two best girl friends. The SIL (sister in law) and the BFF (no explanation necessary). We set out with one destination in mind. Hershey, PA; birthplace of Milton Hershey, god father of American chocolate as we know it. They have this wonderful historic section where all of the first families lived. I didn’t get to see that part of town, but that’s a story for another blog. They also have 3 Wal-Marts and a Kmart but that coincides with the lack of seeing the historical section blog.

Imagine my surprise upon learning that Hershey was ONLY about 2 hours from Philly. Philly, the birthplace of our great country and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. After much cajoling (okay, I admit...I whined until I got my way) they agreed on this little side adventure. I just couldn’t fathom the thought of NOT going. How could anyone not want to walk through Independence Hall and hear the whispers of the past; not get their picture made by the Liberty Bell? It’s mind boggling, really. They conceded, but I have to save the Philly story for another time. It's an adventure unto itself. I have really good pictures from the interstate.

The really cool part of this road trip was that I realized that our return home from Philly would take us straight through DC. Holy Cow! How cool was this?? Philly AND DC all in one trip?? My poor little brain couldn’t take it! I was giddy with ideas. I am a planner and any good planner has detailed ideas, in folders, most often color coordinated and I am a planner of the first notch. I held off on planning itineraries for us, just barely.

When they realized I had folders they put their foot down. This is a road trip, they said. Let’s be spontaneous, they said. This was actually my third clue, but gullible as I am, I only saw it as clue number one. I do like spontaneity, so I agreed.

The trip was fun. It did make me realize some things about myself and my friends, though, that I’m only now able to admit.

I AM THE WEIRD FRIEND. There, I said it, it's out in the open and can't be taken back.

How could that be? I asked myself. I’m fun. I know lots of cool stuff. I’m pretty, not overly judgmental, very opinionated but I’m still fun. How am I the weird friend?

SIL told me this week that if we weren’t related, we probably wouldn’t be friends because we just didn’t have that much in common. I’m crying now as I type this because I truly felt like she was the sister of my heart, my friend by choice, not by familial bonds.

I realized then that the BFF wasn’t such a BFF anymore.

We had become friends of habit and I was the weird one.

Today, I know of one person that I can truly say understands me when I say I want to smell Ireland. That understands the whispers of the past in Independence Hall. Even my DH, who means more to me than I can describe, doesn’t understand me like this.

How did I come to this point in my life? I have friends, associates, acquaintances that I surround myself with daily and not one of them understands?

In closing, I want to encourage all of you normal folks with weird friends to hug them and tell them that you do love them. Try, for their sakes, even if you have to fake it, to want to know what Ireland smells like.

If you are the weird friend, then look at your normal friends and laugh. They’ll never know the difference in smelling Ireland and smelling their own home towns.

Signed,

The Weird Friend

P.S. Why doesn't weird follow the i before e except after c rule?

2 comments:

  1. And Here I thought I was the weird friend! So, what does it mean that I know what what you mean when you wanna walk thru Independence Hall and hear the whispers from the past? That I know what you mean when you want to smell Ireland? That when I say if colors had a smell whisteria would be what purple smells like? Who is weirder...you or me?
    I too have to have an iteneary for a trip...I planned my NYC trip for a year and a HALF!!! 18 months of my life centered around NYC.
    You're not the weird friend...at least not to me! Does that make me the weird friend too?!

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  2. See! That's it EXACTLY!! Purple DOES have a smell and it IS wisteria!! I told DH last night that you were the only one who understood me!! LOL!

    So, we can be weird together!!

    Love ya girl!

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