Two weekends ago I took the train from Boston to Philadelphia for a college friend’s wedding.
I always thought traveling by rail would be somewhat romantic.
It was through Rhode Island & Connecticut.
One harbor city after another, lots of sail boats, blue water & blue sky.
I’ve had a lot on my mind… it a was necessary time of solitude, silence & scenery.
It got ugly after NYC [of course].
But I can appreciate urban ugliness. I live in that now.
Knowing the stories behind it all makes all the difference in the world.
That’s what makes me want to tell those stories so very badly [working on that].
So, so, so good to see Leslie and Emily Ahmet Earl.
Hectic craziness of a mother-of-the-bridezilla, but wonderful just the same.
Hurricane Hanna crashed the wedding too, but that didn’t matter either.
We just moved the party to the barn.
[Photos by Sabrena Carter. I’ve been shooting mostly with film, but I no longer have a scanner. Also, I cant find my usb cord to my digital. Mrah. Only in half operating order these days.]
For much of the night, Leslie & I sat at the table alone, catching up in person.
Face to face is sooo much better.
One guy comes up to us: So you girls don’t dance huh, just sit and drink?
Emily: Oh no, they’re not just drinking, they’re watching you guys and making fun of you and saying inappropriate things.
Hmm. True. We also wrote and illustrated a wedding night instruction manual for the newlyweds. Ahem.
Memories. It’s nice to be this age. It’s nice to be with Leslie and be immature and inappropriate, simply because most of the time we’re oh-so-responsible and grown up. It’s also nice to spend an evening with a best friend and talk about heavy on the heart things. And know that it matters to her, and that she loves me, just as I feel the same for her.
Also had lunch with my old friend, Brad before catching the train back to Boston. We grew up together. He lives in Philly now. It’s funny to call him an old friend. We were so close at one point. But in the past two years we’ve drifted apart. I wish you really could keep your guy friends after they start dating someone seriously. I optimistically always believed you could. I think I was wrong.
Friendships ebb and flow.
The train home was long and dark.
I read the novel Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott.
She stayed true to her real life style: messy & humorous & delightful.
I had a lovely homecoming:
Roses and a man who loves me just as I am: messy & humorous & [he thinks] delightful.