There are acquaintices, friends, and kin. Kin are those family members who didn't have the good sense to be born into your family. Okay, that's stretching it, but they are those people who you have a special connection to, a thing that cannot be severed, no matter the distance, time, or events that come between you and them. It is a spiritual connection, almost. Something that I've been trying to define for years.
You cannot choose family. You CAN choose Kin. Family members can be kin, but kin don't have to be family members.
This is a picture of my friends at my 1997 Halloween Party. From Left to Right...Chrissy B. the Amazon Jedi, Steve R. the Killed Killer, Cari B. the RenFest Lady, Gina C. (another one), her boyfriend Terence the Army Guy, Emily the Starfleet Chick, and Tina C. the Peasant. Missing from this photo---Carolyn J. and Jeff (who wasn't at that party).
In order of acquaintice...
Tina and Gina Cheal(a.k.a. Almond Joy and Mounds, respectively, or Mounds of Joy collectively)
I've known her since...the 2nd grade..although we didn't become best buds until the next year. After losing contact with her several times since then, and rejoining her again several times, we've finally settled down into a good kin-sister relationship that we're not going to let fade away. She's sweet, helpful, a ready listener, and just as tiny as I am...or smaller. She goes to EMU with me. She's got this cool guy named Matt who's now emplyed for Microsquish (play-name for the highly esteemed Microsoft) in Cali.
Gina is her twin, whom -I- met during recess in the 2nd grade when a boy kicked a rock into her forehead. She attends UM. Ah, the memories! Her boyfriend Terrence is living in California, working with another computer-related company...
Steve Randall
What can I say about Steve? He's a true delight in my life. Without him, I probably would still be wearing clothes that are not only out of date, but totally unsuited to someone with my capabilites in creativity (of which he also encouraged). He's an artist, capable of making anything with whatever he gets his hands on, but flighty as he is energetic and enthused with the energy of life. He's strange, he has a tongue ring, and I think he still has a self-made tatoo of the letter "P" on his left wrist...No, wait, it's now a turtle. He's also, like it was said in "In & Out," "and he's gay." And single, I hear...
Carolyn Jones and Me.
We're a wild and wacky bunch, the two of us. I met her in Girl Scouts as she was coming up the driveway. I recognized her immediately as a "friend" and she's been one ever since.
She's the one that keeps me on the ground when my ideas get too strange, keeps me sane when I'm running on the edge, and is my inspiration when I'm out of luck. She's tolerated YEARS upon YEARS of listening to my dumb story ideas, pretending to be patient while secretly wanting to duck-tape my mouth. Anyone willing to listen to me for so long really deserves respect! I don't see her much nowadays, but we contact each other through e-mail. (She goes to UM, too)p>
Chrissy Begle
One of Two. She's a fan of Star Trek, McCaffery, Stascheff, and who-knows-what else. She works at JoAnne's Fabrics and is excellent with the sewing needle and machine (she's made me some costumes). Also known as Cheerful Christine, there is rarely a time that she does not have a smile on her face or a kind word of encouragement.
Right now she's spending most of her time at Madonna University or at work...or working on her novels. She's also on Weight Watchers and has lost ** pounds! Congrats, girlie! Pretty soon she'll be borrowing MY clothes!
Cari Begle
The other one
Lawrence Tech is her place of choice, where she delights in the fact that she is a minority. That is, most of the school population there is male...and single. I can't remember where she works...
Jeff Pryciak
Ah, the love of my life! The cream in my sugar, and all that jazz. I've run into him, or just past him, for many years now. First, in Junior High (where he was in a play I watched that he won't let me mention), then as a ROTC fellow along with my first boyfriend (the notorious Chris A--), then as a friend of my cousin Jason, and etc. Finally, he ran into Gina, then Tina, and Tina introduced him to me April 1998, and the rest is history. Ah, sweet bliss! (I tend to be melodramatic) He's just perfect. Intelligent, witty, gentle, a true gentleman...He cooks, he cleans (at least for me), he gives the best backrubs, and he plays pool (nine-ball) on Sunday nights from 11pm to 2am the next day. (Due to the content of Sic Puppy's website, I will not give the address) Sure, he's not perfect, but neither am I. And, hey! He asked me to marry him! Sunday, Jan. 31, 1999, will go down in history--as the day that D'Arcy went speechless! (Now I wear a diamond engagement ring on my left hand as evidence of this momentous occassion). The wedding is next March and he still can't believe that this is really happening! (No, hon, you can't run yet)
He's doing his basics at a local college (Scraft is going University), but then he'll be off to UM in Dearborn for a major in Business, if he doesn't pursue those Microsoft levels (acronyms, I can't remember thee).
He's switched jobs again (While I've known him, he's been working at Inca...then CompUSA, now for TechTeam, contracted to FORDS). He's such a curious boy! (and I don't mean that derogatorily)
Link back to D'Arcy's Homepage
Established: Oct. 30, 1998; Last updated: May 4, 1999