Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


11.08.2006  

What Kat Said

The other nght, Kat told me that I seemed like I'd be a pretty high-maintenance type of person in a summer camp sort of setting. I had to laugh at that, thinking back to the days of FCF youth ministry and camping out at Bellows. It was there, I believe, that I first earned one of my numerous nicknames: Nature Boy. The fact that I went around the whole weekend, sans shirt, was the primary reason. The fact that I did so with a certain flamboyant gusto only compounded the effect of my natural state. Therefore, when Kat voiced her thoughts concerning my high-maintenance tendencies, I could only laugh to myself and think, "Andrew would never say that."

We go pretty far back, 'Drew and I do. It's not as though the two of us knew each other in diapers or anything, but it often seems like it might as well have been that way. Last I checked we didn't actually share a part of the same brain, but sometimes, I think we come pretty close.

There's a reason why last Spring, when I mentioned the upcoming Spring Banquet, Andrew replied with, "Aaaaahhh yes, The Outfit! So what are you going to wear?" Or why we both know when we say we're going to show up at Kewalo's at 3:30, we really mean 3:50 (sorry, Boss...you know us). Or why we can still erupt into peals of laughter at the mention of a mere name..."Kapahu." Or why we know that Grandma Chang can scold us all she wants about sharks, but we're both still going to be dead-set on going into the water. Or why we grin at the prospects of seeing a bird doing a low flyby over Kawamura's head (even though she's not Kawamura anymore). Or why we're totally comfortable with the gifts God's granted each of us, even if we're not always sure of ourselves in the use of those gifts. Or why what was one of the hardest phone calls either of us ever had to endure, amazingly enough, was also one of the most comfortable.

These days, I'm constantly walking down memory's roads, looking back to the past and to the future. The landscape behind is lush, rich and springing with affection, yet sad as the setting sun. Dawn has not yet come for tomorrow, leaving much of what lies ahead dim with anticipation, hinting at details yet vague as shadows.

Through it all, 'Drew reminds me that all will be well. As we chatted the other night, I was struck with a keen sense of the texture and dimensions of our friendship. It's a friendship that has become fruitful; we've stood through the seasons of life, weathering the quiet of lonely nights, steady and unwavering through the storms. I've seen him hurt, even when I'm the one who's caused the hurt. He's seen me happy, rejoicing alongside in exuberant understanding. I've seen him change and grow as the pages of his life turn; old chapters ending, new chapters heroic and daring. He's seen me change and grow, a friend unafraid to encourage and admonish, walking in steadfastness and vulnerability.

I'm grateful for Andrew, grateful that he knows me well. That's part of the reason why he would never say what Kat said. At least, I think he wouldn't say what Kat said...

posted by Bolo | 8:45 AM
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