#and she's taken me to some open mic poetry events in her neighborhood that are AMAZING

[britneyshakespeare]

In my last personal post I told a story in the tags about a friend I've made in the past several months who used to be friends with a bunch of casually racist cishet white guys and whatnot. I mentioned how she sent me a message the other night about how she really feels like she trusts me and can be herself around me and how good that feels. But that post was about casual racism more than friendship so here's a positive post about friendship. God I just love meeting people and hanging out with them and doing cool things and introducing each other to cool new places. I love emotionally bonding through the gradual reveal of different layers of the self. I love having my set of interests, while they also have their own, but there's a good amount of thematic overlap and exchange and lending each other books and recommending movies and talking about them and stuff. I love when you haven't even known someone long but you can just feel a strong common sympathy there and like you're going to be friends for a long time. Like sometimes it comes out of nowhere when you really don't expect it and aren't looking for it but you're just speaking to someone you just met and shortly into it you're like "!!!!" inside your head because it's like. Wow. I could talk to this person forever. We could just shoot the shit on whatever topic and it would be a good time. Love that all so much.

#the tags i wrote about this friend didn't really show we were close for any other reason than me not being racist to her like the guys #she's just letting go of. but while that's certainly a reason we became closer (me sympathizing w her & finding their behavior disgusting) #obviously that's not like. the sole basis of a lasting friendship. lol. like. there's plenty of white ppl who won't use her to excuse #themselves when they want to be racist for an edgy joke. im not special im just Not Horrible for that. #even if it is new to her i always remind her that there's better out there than them and im not SO exceptional for treating her w respect. #which we all need to be reminded of sometimes if we have a history of toxic friendships/relationships but still. #we're actually bonded much more by our interests and worldviews. like. she LOVES philosophy and is somewhat into poetry #i on the other hand LOVE poetry and am somewhat into philosophy. #we have really interesting conversations and recommendations to each other. i like exchanging thoughts abt what we're reading or watching #we also like to go to secondhand stores and buy old books. and knickknacks and whatnot. #that's been a fun way to bond #and she's taken me to some open mic poetry events in her neighborhood that are AMAZING #i never read my stuff onstage since i was like 15 before her. and ive seen her grow as a performer as she's started doing it. #it's such a cool evolution. i love her. i love spending time w her she's such a cool friend. #tales from diana