another east-looking shot from Frenchman’s Cay Resort, showing one lonely sailboat running down the Straight. Tortola looming large on the left. Other islands, from right; Peter, Dead Chest, Salt, and Cooper. Notice the rain in the sky, and the squall-lines ominous in the day’s last rays.

looking east along Tortola and Sir Francis Drake Straight from above the Fenchman’s Cay Resort

about being on the otherside of the conversation: the greatest things ever said to me by my friends were the things that proved their love for me beyond any doubt. however, these things said, these statements of love, have taken a curious form.
they took the risk of alienating or offending me.

“no you don’t.” – S.M., after i told her i loved her.
“stop trying so hard” – C.C., when i felt i was finally making an effort
“nobody wants to read that crap” – J.H., when i read her my melancholy poetry
there’s more; they’ll come to mind later, away from the computer…

it takes a great friend indeed to call you out when you’re too big fer yer britches. they never said these things because i was being offensive, or because they thought they were better or more correct than me. they said them out of love.
i once thought that this was a common way to communicate, and that all friends could give and take this way. i was wrong.
again, my true friends have proved uncommon…

i can say anything to my true friends. they expect me to say anything. they’d probably be a little disappointed if i didn’t.
they don’t have anything special in mind when they come to communicate with me. they never get offended when i speak the way i think. they seldom ask me (verbally or otherwise) to supply them with the answer they expect or anticipate. they appreciate my viewpoints, even when they don’t agree with theirs. they never expect me to give “the right answer”.
they are all very different people from one another, a whole bunch of individuals, but they all share an uncommon sense of tolerance, patience, and acceptance.
i think i was blessed to come from a small town full of such people. i used to think such friends were common in world; i was wrong. they’re the most uncommon people in the world, and i treasure both them and their friendship.