Irks and Quirks

     There's a lot going around in my head today. I'm much more relaxed than usual. Why? Because I went to visit a friend.
     KC was my best friend in primary school. We haven't seen each other much since primary school, as she was a couple of grades below me. We got along really well from day 1, and that hasn't changed in the 20-some years since we met.
     KC was a lovely young girl. I'm not sure exactly how we met at primary school, being that she was a couple of grades younger. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't really have a lot of friends, let alone friends my own age. Maybe it was the fact that she was accepting of me, however I was.
     Her life wasn't easy. She had two VERY protective older sisters, and a younger brother. In primary school, she got around on crutches - these days it's a wheelchair. We got along extremely well, in fact I think we only had one or two arguments in the whole of primary school.

    I always got the impression that her mother didn't like me. Yesterday I found out that I was wrong.
She moved to a little country town, and I drove the 3 hours to go visit her yesterday. It was the first time in many many years ( we worked it out to be at least 15 years since we'd last caught up ), and I was amazed at how relaxed I felt. Not only did her mother NOT hate me, she actually invited me to stay for dinner AND to stay the night to save me the long drive home!
    
     It just goes to show how impressions from years ago can stay with you, even though they're not always right. We laughed about times when we'd got into mischief at school, bitched about the horrible aides at school and smiled about the good ones. She  when I reminded her that once I'd taken her crutches off her and tried to make her walk! Then we laughed about it.

She has decided to study being a Jehova's Witness. So she and her family are Witnesses now. Her mother always was, but she wasn't.  While I don't agree with all the principles of JWs, I respect that people are entitled to have their own beliefs. She is also one of the "new-school" JWs, who will doorknock but show you respect if you tell them to politely rack off. They won't hassle you. So before dinner, there was a short prayer. I felt comfortable sitting there while they prayed. It wasn't a big deal (but as those who read my blog regularly will know, not much is a big deal for me!)

     Our friendship is one that has survived the years. People change, and grow up. We grow out of friends.
But it was nice to realise that the important people in your life, the ones who truly love you for who you are, will always be there no matter how many years pass.