2003-12-08 - 6:57 p.m.

Actually, G. was very special - he saved my life! It went like this:

One day off the coast of the Yucutan Pennensula, G. and I went snorkelling way out in the ocean around a distant rock. When we turned to swim back to the boat, we found the current against us, and we struggled to make any headway against the flow of the Atlantic ocean. After what seemed like forever, my little arms just wouldn't swim anymore, they gave out, and I just couldn't go any further, I thought I would drown. My life flashed before my eyes. I didn't scream, but I called out to G., and he put his arm around me and swam me back to shore. It must have been an enormous physical accomplishment for him to do that - when we got back to the boat the rest of our party had been very afraid for us. But G. saved my life, I really believe that.

We were 17 and we spent every moment of that perfect week in Cancun together, helping to build a mission hospital, and later going to Chichen-Itza (sp?) and to la Isla de Mujeres, which is where we were when we very nearly drowned together.

And today, he found me through friendster! He didn't forget about me! I am incredulous that someone would think that much of me to look me up after so long . . .

Here is what he wrote me:

SO!

I have to admit, every once and a while, I see something that is like SEARCH FOR THIS PERSON. And so I search for folks who have successfully drifted away. And anyone as cool as you, even if they were to drop everything and become republican, would still have to be cool. (You haven't dropped everythign and become republican have you? If so, no worries, as I already said, I am sure your still positivly(how do you spell positivly--can you have a parenthetical reference inside another?) nifty!)

I am living in Washington, DC. I came out here trying to get a job that would take me overseas, and am still looking after four years. After several positions with lots of prestige and little enjoyability, I have found myself working for Enterprise Rent a Car, and speak more spanihs at this job than I ever did working for an ex ambassador to Colombia. I am as we speak finishing a Peace Corps Application as I have found that I did rather poorly on my GMAT, thus causing some evaluations of my present situation.

I am single, and not so loving it, but am holding out for someone I think I can love and hope will love me. I am also quite good at not being pathetic about it. I also serve as a common relationship advice columnist for my friends, except without the column or the writing.

I just got back from a vacation in Hungary and Croatia, as I found that people started calling me a "spick lover" mostly in jest, as I only travelled to Latin America before. I think I still prefer latin America, not to be confused with South of the Border, a theme park in one of the Carolinas.

Ina an attempt to get myself to do more things I want to do, I started writing a list that is titled in a very dramatic fashion "the things I want to do before I die." It has proven to be a good thing, as I am trying to get better at playing guitar, and will someday jump out of a plane, when I get the cash. That along with 50 other things. Although it was not actually written on my list, I think I can honestly say "make sure that Dreamself is doing alright" is also a good thing to have onthat list.

So, you doing alright?

G

And my reply:

Glen!!

How awesome to hear from you!!! Your life sounds full of fun and adventure - I'm so glad!

Good luck with your Peace Corps application! I've applied and have almost been accepted twice -- and chickened out before I had finished the assignment process both times. In retrospect, it would have been a fantastic adventure and I probably should have gone, but on the other hand, the experiences I've had in the meantime have made me who I am, so I have no regrets. So where do you hope to go?

I think the last time we spoke I was in College at the time -- Everything has changed for me a million times over since then. I graduated and stayed in Atlanta a couple of years, then took off to Canada for a year to write a novel (which I did! It is completely unpublishable, but it was good practice and at least I know I can do it!) Then I moved to LA, where I had friends. Wow, this has been such a crazy wonderful time in my life, LA is wild - -I've been here in LA about 2 years now -- The first year I worked as a secretary in a community center in South Central LA, in a neighborhood adjacent to Watts. What a wonderful and miserable experience! The people I got to know were wonderful, and my boss liked me so much and thought that I fit in so well that she told me I was "incognegro" . But it really is as bad as they make it out to be on TV what with the gang violence and the bullets flying and the poverty. I decided to move on. I've since taken a job at the Getty Center, which is an art history museum. I work in the art history library now. I love my job -- the Getty is the most beautiful beautiful location in the entire city, a set of buildings designed by Richard Meier located at the top of a mountain, with a futuristic tram that takes you from the bottom of the mountain to the top! But I my true calling is waiting for me . . . I want to be a novelist! I can't seem to find any time in LA to write, 'cuz I'm so tired after the 3 hours a day I spend in traffic - so I have decided to move to a smaller town to devote more time to my craft - and also I really see my life going in a totally off the wall direction, opposite what would be a normal life or normal success (like going to grad school) and this strange sense of destiny is leading me . . . so next summer I will be following that feeling to Santa Cruz, California (just south of San Francisco) for some devotion to writing and to love and to the hippie life they live in Santa Cruz -- after that I hope to publish and save up and backpack the world and then start an artists collective with some of my friends. My long term dream would be to start a publishing company for all things absurd, ridiculous, magical, beautiful, and/or politically unpopular. Also tops on my list of things to do before I die is live in Japan. I'm on a Japanese culture kick right now.

As for love . . . I found it! His name is Dean, he's a brilliant writer of science fiction and comic books (not yet published) and truely the kindest most compassionate, loving person you could know. We adore each other and laugh all the time and go on crazy adventures together and I really think this is the real deal. He lives in Santa Cruz and we've been dating for 2 years since we met by making 6 hour (each way) road trips to see each other on the weekends - so a big part of my moving to Santa Cruz is to be closer to him - He'd move to LA but I've always wanted to live in Northern California, so it works out . . .

My mom (you remember my mom, Mom?) went back to school and got her Masters in Divinity and is now an ordained Presbyterian Minister living in Romania and working with Orphans! I'm so thrilled for her. Next time you're in Hungary, you should pop over and see her! She lives in Tulcea, at the mouth of the Danube. She's a missionary for the church, and she's got 6 months left on this term, then she'll be back for 6 months next year, then she already signed on for 3 more years abroad . . .

Oh, and by the way, there's no danger of me becoming republican. I'll prove that to you with a little surprise that I think you'll like:

Go to Google, type in the search box: miserable failure . Then hit the button for "i'm feeling lucky."

G, I could never ever forget you (indeed, not only did you swim me to safety against all odds, but you were the first person I ever met that said "Wicked Awesome!") and there have been many times over the years that I've been reminded of you and wondered about you - I'm so glad that you looked me up! I will definitely be in touch- and if you've ever got a mind to visit the West Coast, you've always got a place to stay with me. I'd love to hear more about all your travels to Latin America, Croatia, Hungary and everything else in your life, so I do hope we get the chance to meet in person or talk on the phone soon.

Oh, and MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,

Dreamself

This experience has reminded me of other friends I have across whom I have lost touch with . . . I think the time is ripe for some more re-connecting . . .

P.S.:I can't believe I summed up the last 8 years of my life, with a few ommissions, in one page!