Erline

I wanted to write about one of my best friends ever. Erline.
Mainly I am scared of her. Let me explain. I like her a lot. She has a great sense of humor and a rapier wit. She is extremely smart, sophisticated, very well read, a great debater, and an excellent writer. She is /was an editor and is now a writer for a newspaper. I am a little bit scared of her because she is all these things. Her opinion of me matters a lot.
Sometimes I care what a few people think of a few aspects of me. But I care what Erline thinks of me a lot! (Right now she is blonde!)
I write fiction, and I think if she liked my fiction I would feel great. I am iffy as to whether I care about what other people think. She is so well read and so well spoken, it's a real trip.
Well I met her when I was doing my undergrad. I was a Natural Science Major and she was I think Social Science/Politics?
But we met on a field Trip with the Biological Society. We were going to the waterfalls for a hike and she asked me to borrow my entertainment magazine when we were waiting for the bus and that was that. A few turtle watches at night, beach clean ups and meetings with the Bio Society in the Nat Sci building, and we were going places.

So all in all we had these things in common. Sense of humor, general zest for life, sense of adventure, and culture.
A fine duo. We went to all the plays we could, went kyaking, traveled round the country, went to art galleries, went to hear Leroi Clarke read poetry, and even found ourselves in the Jean Pierre Complex listening and watching Winnie Mandela speak.

She was much braver than I. She could speak her mind to whomever, about whatever, no matter what. I was never like that (but I wanted to be). I just disappeared when I didn't like something or felt uncomfortable (I think I still do that). So I fed off her energy a lot. I got braver and braver and braver.

One time we even used her press pass to get into a major function at the Royal Bank Auditorium, to hear this prominent South African speak. This function and reception was invitation only to the Heads of State and the like, but we were there!
My cousin, who is a Department Chair in Agricultural Economics had received an invitation to this thing and had been shocked to see us there (Take that!).
We even got some past Head of State to take us home.

But we are soooo very different too! She is Vegetarian. I don't feel complete without meat (hahah).
She likes Radiohead, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Refused. I don't know who these people, places or things are.
Taste in guys, similar sometimes. Most times not I think. I think we both like full personalities rather than JUST good looks.
She dresses way better than me and has a funkier style. I wonder where she gets her clothes a lot.
Yes this post is like an ODE but I just wanted to mention about my friend. She is great and I respect her a lot.
Hugs M