The Ties That Bind...

Good people make life worth living. No matter what happens in life, some of the friendships we make outlast everything negative we can go through. I usually don't take the time to thank my friends enough, so here's yet another opportunity... at least for the ones of whom I have photos.

I have to start out with Joel, since he is both the farthest in distance (Australia) and the closest to my heart. I've known him for about two years now (has it really been that long?) and he's been the truest, most incredible friend I have ever had in my entire life. We can talk about anything with each other without fear of ridicule or embarrassment. Never once has he even remotely upset me, nor I him I hope. He has been there through some of my darkest hours with nothing short of awe-inspiring devotion. Because of all of these things, he is like the brother I never had (though far cuter then I would normally have had for a brother). Even though his seasonal bouts of depression may cause him to close down from time to time, he's the one person I never want to lose from my life.

Then, there's Alex, my straight-but-not-narrow-minded ghost hunting friend who moved to Tennessee. Our friendship started out as almost a non-friendship. He told a rude joke that offended me, and I mentioned it to his wife, Theresa. It turned out to be a misunderstanding: they had a lot of gay friends, and he overly apologized for it. From then until the day they moved away, they were my dearest friends. And then, of course, there was that strange and shocking night online which shall remain unmentioned (let's just say he's an unpredictable boy). Even though we aren't close anymore, I still miss the both of them. Good and interesting company is always hard to come by.

I couldn't compose this list without mentioning Bill. After all, he has tolerated me the most over the past few years. I met him through my paranormal website years ago. Since that time, he's become my best local friend, though at times I am the butt of many of his jokes. He's an odd mix of goofy humour and bitterness, with a dash of humanity thrown in every so often for good measure. I've watched him go through some rough times and life changes over the years and have been there as best as I could be. Ans he's seen me through a few colossal mistakes, such as my last ex. Though we may not always see eye-to-eye on matters and we do occasionally need a little time away from one another, he is truly a good friend. I guess you could almost say he too is like a brother to me... a nitpicking older brother, that is.

Chris is the second person I met through my website. Well, technically not the second. I met him before Bill. He was very enthusiastic about the paranormal in a time when I was feeling a tad bit burnt out with paranormal groups. He's been through more than his share of, shall we say "interesting life moments"? We lost touch for quite some time but became reacquainted in the past few years... around the time he began dating Bill. He's the one person I know who tries his best to smile no matter how rotten the situation, all the while wearing his heart on his sleeve. He can be both good-hearted and a tad bit stubborn. Materialistic, yet spiritual. Yet he seems to be growingly more comfortable with himself, which is always a wonderful thing. He is my second 'best local friend'. And just like Bill, we may not always be in agreement or share the same opinions, but I wouldn't have him any other way!

Lastly is my newest friend of the bunch, Evelyn. I met her only within the past few months via the paranormal group I belong to. She's beyond interesting, with more interests and opinions than you can shake a stick at! She can be tough as nails, but she's always a joy to be around. We both seem to use humour in place of sanity... life isn't very survivable without a lot of laughter. Like most of us, she has problems, but doesn't use them as an excuse. We have a lot of similar interests, which always helps too! She's slowly becoming one of my regular local pals, though I liked her from the first moment I met her. Otherwise, she wouldn't be my "date" on so many occasions! No, not in that "pretending to be straight" way... in the "I don't want you to feel like you're going stag" sort of way!

As always, I'm leaving some people out. Colleen, Tommy, Dana, etc. I'll have to work on getting some more photos so I can do a sequel.