Legendary Journeys

And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground. But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot ...


Following the natural terrain of the stream, I worked Keah in tightly woven criss crosses, close to the bramble and bush. He is smaller, sleeker than most of the cutting kaiila and built for speed and agility which makes him perfect to train in the new manuevers. The work out itself traveled the ascent and declines of the ravines. That was how I happened upon Fonce. I felt excitement as I spoke of the new training and expressed hope he would try out the creature's skills. When he said he would seek Keah out, I was quick to add that there was a difference in how this one moves and if you are not one with him then he will leave your duff in the dust.

It was nice to simply talk with him of kaiila, of being a new prospect, of life and of being friends. We have grown a great deal in a short time and still have a lifetime to go. His curiosity matches my own. Conceptuals of what is not easily tangible is where we disagree or seemed to lose the other. This time I wanted to find a way to span that gap. It would be with the use of slight of hand that I tried to impress my understanding of why we do not see some things, at least not at first. It bothered me that he had asked once again about my not seeing what I once had. It is hard to remember that he is not being cruel but honestly wants to understand. Just as I had to ask him to look past the anger ... I had to look past the pain. I did tell him that being hard-headed makes you half blind to a lot of the world. Arrogant Tuchuk thought I was talking about him.

They say a friend is someone that knows all there is to know about you and likes you anyway and love is when you can stand with your soul bared and share with another. So how do you explain this connection we have? We know so little of the other and at times can find no words to communicate. He said it best ... there are many things about he and I and how we work that we do not understand and may never understand. For the first time neither of us questioned that but began to trust that it just was. Even when he brought up the past, I had to rein in my own hurt and anger .. it was something that we both would have to learn .. trust.

I don't have all the answers but I do keep trying to find them. That is where we are much alike ... too much at times. It isn't so bad being like him, that means he is a lot like me. I think there is hope we will survive this lifetime and teased him with a wager. With my hand held up against the horizon as if it were cupped there so that the clouds and the sky rested in my palm, I told him I believed that the future was right there if we looked. I would race him there in our lifetime and share what we learn. Could he leave it as simple as all that? You don't know him well if you thought so. He upped the ante, that it would include the good as well as the bad ... his words not mine.

When I left I felt good that we had talked but there were some things bothering me beneath it all. First, I wondered if he understood that sharing everything meant that he had to face ... all ... just as he expected of me. Second, he still blanches each time I mention dreams. And lastly, that he still did not seem happy. Wasn't that the whole reason I had left in the first place ... so that the vision of his happiness could come true?

What I do know is that that race to the horizon and beyond will be a legendary journey.


What is a Friend?

A friend is
Someone who cares about you,
Someone who likes you just the way you are.

A friend is
Someone who does things with you,
Someone who keeps your secrets.

A friend is
Someone who sometimes gets angry with you,
Someone who might hurt your feelings sometimes
even when they don’t mean to.

A friend is
Someone who comforts you when you’re sad,
Someone who laughs with you when you’re happy.

A friend is
Someone who wants to be with you,
Someone who enjoys your company.

A friend is
Someone you’ll remember always
Even when they grow up and move away.

A friend is
Someone who is loyal and says good things about you,
Someone who gets mad if someone else is mean to you.

A friend is
A link to someone’s humanity like food for the soul to share,
Someone to hold onto when life’s follies bring despair.

A friend is
F-frank, R-righteous, I-intrepid, E-earnest, N-noble, D-decent

A friend is a friend—always!