Friendship

Friendship is what makes the world bearable, even in the case of hermits like myself. No-one is entirely an island, after all, and the human need for self-expression is one of the most powerful drives that we have. In fact, this topic was suggested by my friend Eglis, currently in the Caribbean and watching an impressive burst of rainfall. Without such friends, and my students, I would go mad from complete seclusion!

Friendship, amity, and partnership. Noble old words of peace that have recurred through all the legends and narratives in history. Holmes and Watson, Kirk and Spock, the Knights of the Round Table, Odysseus and his crew, the Ghostbusters, and many more have sustained civilization throughout those bleak days of war and strife. Now, in these more enlightened days, we generate new myths and stories and add women into the lists, as they should have been long before now. What will happen next? We don't know.

Friendship has been a difficult thing to find, and only rarely has it lasted. Perhaps it's difficult to live up to the great friendships that have permeated literature and television, or perhaps I'm just a reclusive weirdo. Enough autobiography, though, as the world is a huge place, and there are people enough for everyone to find someone of similar interests. In the meanwhile, there are stories to write, jobs to apply for, and things to read. Always things to read.

It's difficult to write about friendship. It's much easier to write about abstract concepts, novels, or films. Instead, here we have something obvious which needs no explanation. There's a better version of this post somewhere in my mind, which will eventually erupt from the mind one day. In the meantime, expect stories!

O.