Conversations & Context Clues

What a wonderful evening with friends. Lee McDerment (dot com) and I went to Atlanta to spend some time with our good friend Katie Brock, who took a night off from her Auburn masters program fashion design studies and braved some ridiculous traffic just to see our pretty faces. 

Lee and I grabbed some early dinner at Papadeaux’s and oh my dang they have amazing creole-based seafood. Then we met up with KB for great conversation outside at Starbucks downtown, more great conversation at Eleven50, still yet more conversation while walking around downtown, and then grabbing late dinner at Vortex, which has the best burgers around (and a hysterical late 80’s metal soundtrack at that hour of the evening. I didn’t realize how many Crue, Faster Pussycat, Saigon Kick, and Enuff Z’ Nuff lyrics were downloaded to my brain). I had a camera in tow, so you can see a few photos of the evening’s festivities on my Flickr page.

I really can’t explain to you how much I love the people in my life. They’re all so unique. They all have qualities that make me want to know them. And not just a cursory form of being around them, but really KNOWING them. I’m aware of how trite and tired and cliched that sounds, but things only become cliched because, at one time at least, they meant something. I want to KNOW my friends. That requires so much honesty on our part. Honesty about who we really are and what we really want and what we really struggle with; and those are questions and answers that are, more often than not, left untouched. I think that’s so sad. I think we miss out on life by repressing all the rough edges and strong desires and real thoughts we have. Not that they necessarily need to be entertained or encouraged or even voiced sometimes; but acting like they don’t exist and continually pushing them down for fear that someone might see them and have a different opinion of us that we want them to have isn’t healthy and can’t be GOOD. There’s no way I want to live life with the few cherished friends I have by repressing who I am and who i’m becoming.

Tonight was full of conversations that were honest and open and welcomed. I’m going to bed thankful for knowing people and for being known. It’s a process… more journey than destination… and i’m loving it.