Highlights and Lowlights

I simply cannot disclose a complete account of the events of my life in perfect order of time or consequence without ever providing you with glimpses of the present time. That would be completely unfair. Imagine, it took me years to come to this level of sanity. By the time this particular moment should appear in the narration, it may no longer matter. But for now, it does.

Last night I met with Sally. Sally is my hairdresser extraordinaire. We had meant to get together for dinner for years but there was always something in the way. I guess if we really wanted to, we could have made it happen. We chose not to. Sally has one of those rollercoaster types of life. Spending time with her means hours of good laughs. During my last appointment with her, last week when my highlights and haircut needed major refreshing; I had been more somber than usual, not imparting her with the crazy events of my life as she was herself generously doing. I was not my usual bubbly self. I had lots on my mind but blaring my most private thoughts over the noise of a hair blower in a busy salon was not going to do it for me. However, this time it turned out a little differently. Once the masterpiece was completed, the usual accolade granted and the promise of a getting together soon was phrased, Sally actually opened her diary and went ahead suggesting date and time. I was stunned. Delightfully so, but still. I was not sure I was ready for such commitment. None-the-less, a date was set for yesterday night. No only did we set a date but we actually kept it. Oh, I did try to cancel a few times, but unusually so, I felt guilty. Coming from me, this is nothing short of a miracle. I would not bother telling you all this if I had not already explained to you about my pretense at being a hard core loner.

So last night we went to that new place overlooking the beach. We had a glass of wine and shared a few starters. The conversation was easy and funny. We have both come such a long way since we met years ago. I managed to share with her all that I had not dared in the salon and I was surprised to see how easy it was. How simple. How utterly normal she made me feel, normal and resilient. And then we spoke of trivialities and it felt good. Misfortune after all, can be just another subject of conversation amongst many.