Meet the Cast

Looking back on college, there is one year that stands out above all the others. It is the year of "Apt. 507." It was my (first) senior year in college, and I lived in a 4 bedroom apartment with 2 amazing friends, one stranger of a roommate, and another friend who often rented our couch. There were a lot of good memories made in Apt. 507 and several good stories worth retelling. During the year, we realized that our collective life within the apartment was excellent sitcom fodder. Upon this realization, a screenplay was scribbled in someone's spiral notebook, and the running joke within this living space became, "That's one for the sitcom."

I was thinking about "Apt. 507" this morning, because the more I look at my life these days, the more "sitcom-ish" it seems. I mean really....do I have a job, do I not have a job, am I dating a guy, am I not dating a guy, if I am dating a guy is it the same guy I was dating the last time you read my blog...probably not...not to mention the fact that I'm a pole dancing soapmaker. Things these days are a little bit unpredictable...

...but there is a small cast of people in my world that when things go all wacky and unpredictable, they are there to peach things right up. MY GOD THEY ARE GOOD AT THAT! And I think it's high time you meet the cast. You see, I've been giving a lot of credit to the men that I've been dating...but you haven't had the honor of meeting the people who listen to me rant, rave, and confess on a regular basis.

Here they are in (mostly) random order:

The Parents: I lump them together because for the past, oh, 18 of my 28 years, they have been the very definition of Team Sara. They love me unconditionally, and despite their eyebrows, which are often raised in my direction, they are rock-solidly THERE. And I don't know how I could keep the little sanity that I have left if I didn't KNOW THAT TO MY VERY CORE.

Freakishly Amazing Sister (FAS): I used to think she was an absolute freak. Now I think she's "freakishly amazing." We somehow manage to be polar opposites and exactly the same all at once. I used to wish she was more "normal" and I used to think life would be easier if I wasn't always in her shadow. Now, she lives way too many states away from me, and I think life in the safety and coolness of that shadow wasn't so bad after all. She is the first place I turn when things go to complete shit...and she never seems to mind getting a little bit on her. And God, how I love her for that.

Now for the randomosity....

The Musicmaker: She was a resident of Apt 507 with me. I used to be afraid of letting people see who I really was. What if they judged? What if they didn't approve? She taught me that true friends know ALL of the bad stuff, and love your guts anyway. She makes cd's for me, because she knows I'm completely incapable of downloading music, and because of her, my car is full of various options for your listening pleasure. Want to party at the stop light? I have cd for that. Want to go all mellow and drive 10 miles under the speed limit? I have a cd for that too. She is, in fact, one of the most amazing people on the planet, and I am blessed beyond measure to call her FRIEND. Our friendship is not convenient and takes planning and understanding to nurture...but we do it...because we were meant to.

Mama J: She was the first friend I made at college. We lost touch, but have reconnected. Now she's my Mama friend. She understands the importance of your child doing something incredibly amazing....like peeing in the potty or dancing to the theme song of their favorite show. She is faithful and brutally honest. She is one of the most down to earth people I know, and she has an incredible way of snapping me out of the clouds and into a pleasant view of reality. She has also shown me a true demonstration of what trusting God's plan looks like, as her journey hasn't always been daisy-laden. She GETS IT...and gives it right back.

The Pillow: This, ironically enough, is my former mother in law, Ex's stepmother. The introduction at parties goes something like this: "Hi..this is my friend...she was my friend first...then I married her son...and gave her another grandchild....but then I divorced her son...so now we're just friends again....but she's still family because of E....but mainly we're just friends." And thank God for that! She went through the same Masters program that I am going through, so she's a mentor in that respect. But mainly she's a sounding board for all things life. And through all of the drama of uprooting and replanting, she has remained steadfast as my friend. I firmly believe that she has been blessed with a spirit of adoption, and I am blessed to be one of "her's." Over the years, she has provided a safe place in which I can dig into my core...and her shoulder happens to be a safe place to cry...I know...because I do it frequently.

My Peep: When I decided to move to a new town, she vowed to be "my person." This meant I had permission to call at all hours of the day or night and she promised to be there. She has exceeded this promise by listening to all of my emotional aches and pains over these past months, and she is always ready with some kind of supportive comment. I know I can depend on her to be there in a pinch, and the comfort in that has been tremendous.

Last but not least

Soul Sister: I met her only 8 months ago when I started my graduate program. We "just happened" to walk into the building together on that first day, and "just happened" to sit by each other. We went to lunch that day, and it's been history ever since. I have never in my life connected with a human being so quickly and so genuinely as I have with her, and I value our friendship more than chocolate itself. We can laugh doing absolutely nothing, and the soul baring that takes place over dessert is both reciprocal and respected. A lot of our conversations start with, "Ok...I need you to put on your non judgemental hat" and end with "You know I'm gonna love ya anyway." And that...is real friendship.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are so many people who love and support me on a regular basis. But these are the core people in my sitcom. I am blessed to the point of having absolutely no words to have them in my life. The fact that they choose to be there makes them that much more special...and that much more insane. But I'm sure glad they keep coming back.

PS...there is an open casting call for "Gay Guy to Shop With"....if you know of anyone, send him my way.