from the mountains to the prairies
Sep. 11th, 2003 03:05 pmNow is the time on Sprockets when Brenda posts.
I'm only going to say one thing about it being 9/11: I was very touched by the children reading names at the memorial this morning. One of the girls, who was interviewed on the Today show this morning, has organized a sort of art therapy session for all the children of the victims. I thought that was a really nice idea.
Oh, and since a lot of you are new to the friends list in the past year, here's my where-I-was story if you're interested.
Last night I was home alone, practicing my flute, when a strange man came to the door. I didn't answer. After a couple of knocks he went away, but I was freaked out. I called Evan and talked to him until I felt better. Then Jessica called, and I talked to her until my phone died. It was a good wake-up call to make me wonder what I'm thinking, planning to live alone again. It's weird; I never felt afraid in the apartment before Kathy moved in, but ever since that guy hit my car, I'm incredibly nervous being there alone. There are many things I don't want to be alone for: war, bad storms, roach discoveries, strange phone calls/people at the door, the aftermath of scary movies. What am I going to do once Kathy's gone? Cling to the cat and pray?
The good thing is, Evan really wants to move into my apartment complex. Ideally the apartment across from mine, which has been vacant since March. This can't happen until he has a job, which is all the more motivation for him to get one. We're having a good time planning our Friends-like existence: I'll cook for him occasionally, he'll let me watch his cable and use his DSL whenever I want. :) Anyway, the chances of him getting that apartment are slim, but I think he could get into the complex. Then the alone point would be moot because I'd have a neighbor friend for protection and companionship. So we'll see what happens there.
Quoted by Michaela, written by Christian singer/songwriter Tara Leigh Cobble, who is awesome.
Friendationship: (n) frin-DAY-shun-ship
A male-female relationship, which has exceeded the normal level of friendship, but has not yet acquired official relationship status; a phenomenon that is prominent in the Post-Joshua-Harris era; often occurs pre-DTR; i.e. Greg doesn’t want to date Sally, because he’s not sure if she’s The One, but it’s obvious to everyone that they are in a friendationship. Synonym: Just Friends; Antonym: Friends with Benefits.
I invented this word a few years ago, because I sensed a great need for it. My friends and I have used it frequently in everyday conversation, and they have recently encouraged me to release it to the world. It hasn’t been entered into the dictionary yet, but I figure that if enough of us start using it, those days can’t be too far off. As a matter of fact, “bling-bling” was just added to the Oxford English Dictionary. I’m not even kidding. I heard that they credited some rapper with it. So, let’s just all operate on the safe side here and make sure you credit me when you use the word friendationship. Then I’ll be rich enough to have some bling-bling of my own someday.
Friendationships are a confusing thing. First of all, I haven’t come up with an official word for what it’s called when you hang out with the person you’re in a friendationship with (is it a frate, an abbreviation of friend-date?). Furthermore, what do you call that person? Until now, I’ve just referred to the person as your friendationship (instead of your girlfriend, your boyfriend, or the person you are always with but won’t admit that you like), but I’m not sure if I like that either. If you think of anything better, let me know.
I’m not going to go into any details about my personal experiences with friendationships; but I will tell you that I think they are the best new trend in dating (or non-dating, whichever you prefer). And as a matter of fact, the best relationships that I’ve had have been friendationships. I fully endorse them. They’re also fun to witness:
Two friends of mine, whom I will call Adam and Eve, have just recently admitted to each other that their friendship is, in fact, a friendationship. I’ve been telling Eve this for six months. Everyone else knew it, too... Adam just finally admitted it to himself. I feel so relieved. So maybe they will get married someday. Or maybe it will all end weirdly, and none of our friends will feel comfortable hanging out with each other anymore. But that’s the beauty of the friendationship: total uncertainty, total lack of commitment.
To find out if you are currently in a friendationship, take this simple quiz:
1. Have you ever read I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris?*
2. After reading the book, did you burn it?
*disclaimer: Joshua Harris is actually a friend of mine, and I have personally read everything he has ever written, including his private journals, which he keeps in his hall closet. Josh, I mean you no harm, and I think you and Shannon are amazing. Have a nice day, and please don’t hate me- this is all in good fun. (P.S. Can you make the word friendationship hugely popular?)
I'm only going to say one thing about it being 9/11: I was very touched by the children reading names at the memorial this morning. One of the girls, who was interviewed on the Today show this morning, has organized a sort of art therapy session for all the children of the victims. I thought that was a really nice idea.
Oh, and since a lot of you are new to the friends list in the past year, here's my where-I-was story if you're interested.
Last night I was home alone, practicing my flute, when a strange man came to the door. I didn't answer. After a couple of knocks he went away, but I was freaked out. I called Evan and talked to him until I felt better. Then Jessica called, and I talked to her until my phone died. It was a good wake-up call to make me wonder what I'm thinking, planning to live alone again. It's weird; I never felt afraid in the apartment before Kathy moved in, but ever since that guy hit my car, I'm incredibly nervous being there alone. There are many things I don't want to be alone for: war, bad storms, roach discoveries, strange phone calls/people at the door, the aftermath of scary movies. What am I going to do once Kathy's gone? Cling to the cat and pray?
The good thing is, Evan really wants to move into my apartment complex. Ideally the apartment across from mine, which has been vacant since March. This can't happen until he has a job, which is all the more motivation for him to get one. We're having a good time planning our Friends-like existence: I'll cook for him occasionally, he'll let me watch his cable and use his DSL whenever I want. :) Anyway, the chances of him getting that apartment are slim, but I think he could get into the complex. Then the alone point would be moot because I'd have a neighbor friend for protection and companionship. So we'll see what happens there.
Quoted by Michaela, written by Christian singer/songwriter Tara Leigh Cobble, who is awesome.
Friendationship: (n) frin-DAY-shun-ship
A male-female relationship, which has exceeded the normal level of friendship, but has not yet acquired official relationship status; a phenomenon that is prominent in the Post-Joshua-Harris era; often occurs pre-DTR; i.e. Greg doesn’t want to date Sally, because he’s not sure if she’s The One, but it’s obvious to everyone that they are in a friendationship. Synonym: Just Friends; Antonym: Friends with Benefits.
I invented this word a few years ago, because I sensed a great need for it. My friends and I have used it frequently in everyday conversation, and they have recently encouraged me to release it to the world. It hasn’t been entered into the dictionary yet, but I figure that if enough of us start using it, those days can’t be too far off. As a matter of fact, “bling-bling” was just added to the Oxford English Dictionary. I’m not even kidding. I heard that they credited some rapper with it. So, let’s just all operate on the safe side here and make sure you credit me when you use the word friendationship. Then I’ll be rich enough to have some bling-bling of my own someday.
Friendationships are a confusing thing. First of all, I haven’t come up with an official word for what it’s called when you hang out with the person you’re in a friendationship with (is it a frate, an abbreviation of friend-date?). Furthermore, what do you call that person? Until now, I’ve just referred to the person as your friendationship (instead of your girlfriend, your boyfriend, or the person you are always with but won’t admit that you like), but I’m not sure if I like that either. If you think of anything better, let me know.
I’m not going to go into any details about my personal experiences with friendationships; but I will tell you that I think they are the best new trend in dating (or non-dating, whichever you prefer). And as a matter of fact, the best relationships that I’ve had have been friendationships. I fully endorse them. They’re also fun to witness:
Two friends of mine, whom I will call Adam and Eve, have just recently admitted to each other that their friendship is, in fact, a friendationship. I’ve been telling Eve this for six months. Everyone else knew it, too... Adam just finally admitted it to himself. I feel so relieved. So maybe they will get married someday. Or maybe it will all end weirdly, and none of our friends will feel comfortable hanging out with each other anymore. But that’s the beauty of the friendationship: total uncertainty, total lack of commitment.
To find out if you are currently in a friendationship, take this simple quiz:
1. Have you ever read I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris?*
2. After reading the book, did you burn it?
*disclaimer: Joshua Harris is actually a friend of mine, and I have personally read everything he has ever written, including his private journals, which he keeps in his hall closet. Josh, I mean you no harm, and I think you and Shannon are amazing. Have a nice day, and please don’t hate me- this is all in good fun. (P.S. Can you make the word friendationship hugely popular?)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:15 pm (UTC)Wow, I did not know that Evan was looking to rent in your complex. I would love to have a friend in my apartment complex, if I knew I'd get to hang out with them some, and it wouldn't just be this weird "hi" by the mailbox, thing.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:42 pm (UTC)Yeah, he's been expressing that interest for a month or so. It was sort of random. He had been talking about moving to Millington, but then he changed his mind. I'm sure I would see him a lot, so I'm all for it.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:19 pm (UTC)Damn. I have a ton of friendationships.
NOW'S THE TIME ON SPROCKETS WHEN WE DANCE!
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:33 pm (UTC)Yup! A couple of times..and am reading it again for the study community.
2. After reading the book, did you burn it?
::laugh:: No, I was staunch IKDG for several years, but now that I'm getting closer to (or am at, o.o) that age I've been rethinking it all. I'm definitely not for short-term dating, but I'm not for old-fashioned courtship either. I wouldn't burn his book because there are lots of good thoughts and ideas in it. :) The Bible should always guide our actions.
Friendationship, huh? I don't think I have any of those. XD Darn. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:47 pm (UTC)Sheesh, I just thought it was funny...but I think I unwittingly opened a can of worms. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 03:27 pm (UTC)This is funny.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 01:59 pm (UTC)Basically, Harris' picture of relationships was quite black and white. There was no casual dating status; it was either pure platonic friendship or all-out courtship with extensive discussion of marriage from the beginning.
The problem, of course, is that most guys are not willing to jump immediately into deadly serious, expectation-raising courtship with a girl that they've only recently realized they share a mutual attraction with, especially if they don't know much about the girl yet. So you have this phase when a guy and a girl know of each other's feelings and are spending time together, but they aren't quite prepared to seriously court. A friendationship is a fine term for that period of time, especially by people (including my past self...) who were afraid of using the word dating.
Incidentally, I recently completed a 5-month friendationship of the official sort, and am now in a relationship. (-;
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 03:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:01 pm (UTC)2. After reading the book, did you burn it?
*LOL* YOU CRACK ME UP. *squeeze* That totally made my day. ~_^ As a survivor of a friendationship (or two) I have always been annoyed by the fact that if I wished to "not date" a certain someone, I would have to actually go backwards from a normal friendship. Either that, or I'm doing with 3 or 4 guys what I oughtn't to be doing with one. (ie, lunch, movies, hanging out alone at home with just them, etc. It's called a friendship. O_o Some people find that an alien concept.)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:22 pm (UTC)Yeah. I know what you mean.
Oh, and this font is Georgia. I just selected it as the font family in the S2 customizing area. I'm glad you like it, too! I think it looks classy. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:10 pm (UTC)It's a moo point. ;)
0_o
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:25 pm (UTC)How was not-being-at-the-Pyramid?
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 02:52 pm (UTC)I was sorry to hear that you were feeling listless. That is not a fun feeling, so in hopes of changing your mood icon to something more cheery in your next post, I am giving you a list.
I hope you don't feel listless any more. If there's anything else I can do to help, don't hestitate to contact me.
Best regards,
Jonathan.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 03:01 pm (UTC)I must go home now and can't comment further right now, but thank you. That's a good list. I will meditate on some of those things on my way home. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 03:34 pm (UTC)That would be so fun to have an apartment in the same complex... Hee! Here's to the Friends-like existence! :)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 06:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-11 09:47 pm (UTC)FRIENDATIONSHIP!!!!! that's perfect. err, was for two months ago, dangit. but yeah. that's awesome. if someone could come up for a word to refer to the PERSON with (instead of gf/bf, etc.) that would be great. hmmm. I like this. thanks for posting.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-12 07:31 pm (UTC)I KNOW! I just use "special friend"...haha!
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-12 10:17 pm (UTC)Too perfect
Date: 2003-09-11 11:19 pm (UTC)Friendationships are soooo annoying... especially when it's just one-sided!! But thanks for posting that! It's great! :)