'Some random.' 'It's on random.' 'Oh.'

Life Met Suw Charman today. I was a bit nervous beforehand, and in fact when I telephoned her to see if I was in right place when her train didn't arrive in Birmingham quite on schedule, I contracted temporary amnesia and forgot which station I was standing in when she asked. Perhaps it was some previous experiences, and those differences which sometimes happen between how people are together online and then in the real world. The last thing I wanted after we'd both traveled half the way up or down the country to get together for us not to gel.

I needn't have worried. It was a really good day. Because it felt so easy. I can be a bit isolated at times because I don't tend to meet people who share the same interests -- who want to talk about film production or weblogging or for that matter even know what the latter is. There is something extraordinarily theraputic about being able to talk to someone for hours and hours without hesitation, with some repetition and lots of deviation, especially if they know what they're talking about. Sometimes as we walked about we got lost in the city or hit dead ends in shopping centres because of all the talking. I can't wait to for us to get together again soon.

Back in Liverpool by 8:30. Caught a taxi to Fani's place so that I could see her for the final time before she leaves tomorrow. It was emotional. Even though I know I'll see her again (either because I'll visit her home in Greece or because she'll be back here soon studying something else) I do feel like I'm letting a really good friend go. She's effected the who-I-am in ways I wouldn't be able to put into words and continues to do so. It's just going to be different in the future and I'm getting those guilty pangs about all the times when we didn't get together because work or tiredness got in the way. If there is something I've learnt from today it's that it's always worth making the effort to do anything because quietly unforgettable things can happen.

No comments: