Sunday, October 2, 2011

A Year of Gratitude - Day One Hundred Three

Day 103 - Freedom
I got to visit with four people today.  First, I drove out to Walnut Creek to visit Stephanie - my best friend of 11 years - and spent the morning catching up.  She is a great friend and confidante, whose insights and acceptance have helped me more times than I can count.  
Then there was Henry (in the first photo) - a friend made online, and a delight to meet in person.  As I’ve stated before, I am trying to make my “virtual friends” into “real friends,” and this was one of those occasions where it was as if we had known each other in a “real” way far longer.  A great friend and a dear man - I was grateful for the chance to make this connection.
The second “virtual” to “real” conversion was Nacho; we have been chatting online for a number of years, and until this weekend hadn’t had the chance to meet.  Nacho lives in Victoria, BC, and we met online when I was living in Southern California.  Since my return to Portland, there have been conversations about possible visits, but none of them have worked out.  We both were coming to San Francisco to attend the Folsom Street Fair the following Sunday, so we were finally able to meet in person today (Friday, 10/23).  
Again, this was one of those moments when I felt lucky - our “in person” connection was stronger than the “virtual.”  We are on the same page on so many levels that the only word I can use is “joy.”  I couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like if we lived closer together.
I had dinner with Alex (in the second photo) - my friend from the auditions for “Win, Lose or Draw,” a game show in the 1990s hosted by Bert Convy (who died shortly after the show was cancelled).  We have kept in touch ever since we met in LA, often visiting each other when we’re in the other’s city.  Alex just bought a condo on Lake Merritt in Oakland, and he took me to dinner at the Terrace Room at the Lake Merritt Hotel across the street.  It was a fabulous evening.
As I crawled into bed that night, I thought about how lucky I am to have the freedom and ability to travel and visit my friends; with the talk of the end of the world and how the country is descending into chaos and/or fascism, I am grateful for the liberty to make these choices.  I needed this break, and so far, the trip has been a wild success.

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