Saturday 12 January 2008

Transience

Ever noticed how so much in life is transient?


Not in a nihilistic sense because who wants to believe in nothing?! But in a continually shifting way. At its most straightforward level my kids are getting older and perhaps I am too (only three weeks left!) and so we leave behind the 'things' (tangible and intangible) that were appropriate to who we were.


Princess Curly-Wurly is having her first proper grown-up sleepover tonight. Complete with make-up, independent walk home from town and dance routines! Last time a friend stayed the night it was 'Mummy what can we do now? Mummy, come play with us!' No more. And despite her father's reluctance I am pleased that she is experiencing her freedom. Albeit a little nervously (me not her)


Last night was a little weird. After putting Babyman to bed ~6:30 and going up and saying goodnight to Princess C-W I went in to my room. My bed looked so inviting that I just had to climb in. I lay there listening to 'The News Quiz' and vaguely remember hearing 'The Archers' but in a very hazy kind of way. The next thing I remember CK came to bed at midnight! By that point I had had five hours sleep and unsurprisingly was unable to get back to sleep! So from 12:30 - 3:30 a.m. I was wide awake. So I wrote letters - proper, on paper, with a pen letters! And I knitted (a pig's face - will post pictures later). And I read! Then I slept again until 7:00am.


I tell you all this b/c at that hour of the night there are some strange thoughts lurking in the ether and I have come to the conclusion that I am a 'transient friend'. Not one of those people who always looks for the next interesting person to speak with b/c that would be not very friendly (plus this is a small country town and such people are few and far between). Rather I feel I may be the friendship equivalent of the rebound boyfriend. I get people through a sticky patch and then they go out into the big wide world to a new and longer lasting experience.


It has taken me some years to come to this conclusion and CK suggests it is down to my life changing relatively dramatically every few years and points out that I do have several long term friends. However I think I am just the 'transient' friend.
Don't get me wrong, I am still in some sort of contact with many of the 'good' friends I have had in the gazillion years I have lived in the UK. But it is more the exchanging Christmas cards sort of thing.


Hmm, a little philosophical for a craft blog perhaps so let me show you a picture of contentment.




6 comments:

  1. Awww, hope Princess CW gets on alright at her sleepover - I've done the 'fetching at midnight' thing before now.

    I very much hope your blog isn't transient - I like it a lot, and intend to visit for a long time. Take care. x

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  2. Lovely post Mrs! I hope Princess CW's sleepover is a huge success.

    It's amazing what thoughts happen in the wee small hours. We've moved around a lot too and have made new friends wherever we live. Some of these stand the test of time but others fade away. I think this is quite normal as we change so much as we grow older and new people are always coming into our lives.

    Let's all hope we're blogging 'til we're 90!!!!

    Lesley xx

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  3. Good post Trashalou - but too tired to do it justice with a suitably sensible and profound comment! Keep staying up too late at night watching people sign up to this silly old swap thingy! Lucy x

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  4. You should do what I do. Don't have any friends then there's no friend maintenance. Easy!

    (Virtual friends not included)

    I hope PCW had fun at the "stay-awake-over".

    :)

    ps. Loving the granny square blanket behind your pup .... crafted by your own fair hands perchance?

    pps. Word verif. : buniwcj. I'm saying nothing .....

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  5. Great thought provoking post.
    Friends are hard and great all at the same time. I like Lesley's ideas of blogging till we are 90. Maybe we should start a club.....what will take over blogging before then I wonder.

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  6. well, IF that is true... (since i don't really know you well enough to tell) ...then surely it says much more about the transient *friends* than it does about you! (except of course, that clearly you are a good and kind person that folks can automatically sense they could count on in a crisis!!! which is quite a NICE thing, really!)

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