chuck
one of my dearest friends is moving back to columbia from portland, oregon tomorrow. i have been literally counting down the days. chuck’s return soothes me in a lot of ways—beside the fact that i adore him, i feel like i have a comrade of sorts.
chuck moved away very shortly after i did. we have been gone almost the exact same amount of time. while away, we were able to console each other in the newness and strangeness of our respective cities. our reasons for leaving south carolina were almost identical, and it was nice to have someone to flourish with—even if that someone was clear across the country.
my friend beth sent me a text message after i decided to move. she had heard the news (as word travels extremely fast in our social circles), and wanted to know if the rumors were true. i confirmed, and she responded, “you and chuck?! this is awesome!” turns out, he and i had decided to call it quits at nearly exactly the same time.
i’ve written in earlier posts about my feelings of isolation and displacement stemming from my own return to the south. i am happy to be here, but knocked off-kilter by both the changes and sameness. i have had trouble relating these feelings to the people around me, which has only served to make me feel more isolated and displaced. i’ve talked to chuck about his decision to move, and many of his reasons were the same as mine. he has expressed anxiety and excitement about his return in the same portions that i feel in my own life. it’s going to be such a relief to have someone nearby who is going through the same thing as me at the same time—someone i can share my doubts and apprehensions with who will be able to understand without taking offense.
chuck’s decision bolsters my own. he is one of the most rational, sturdy people i know. if his arrival isn’t evidence of failure…then maybe neither is my own.
1 year ago • Notes