I began this day in the typical way – waking up and reading my blog and the related stories. The blog had been sent to Chris the night before and it so amazing to wake up and find it in bed with me. It doth bring joy to my heart and soul. It is really rather fascinating to read in the older related stories how I felt about things, particularly Vancouver, in October and November of 2017. I was in San Francisco but felt homesick for Vancouver – talk about total role reversal because, now in March of 2019, The antithesis is true. Antithesis can be the word of the day. Antithesis: complete opposite, converse, contrary, reverse, inverse, obverse, other side of the coin; informal flip side.But why this reversal of feeling, this reverse emotion? It is largely because of the people that habitats the lands of Greater Vancouver. None of them are in my life any longer. I do not see Gail, DDD disappeared after standing me up over dinner, Ty is a guy of the past, not seen him in months, PPP also a vague memory, Triple C did not return my email of about a month ago, Rafaeli, the young student disappeared after a strange evening whee she became most upset. Tracey was such a rare find, probably the best friend I have ever had but she went to live in New Zealand, albeit temporarily but she is not around. What happened to these friendships? It is a Vancouver phenomena – there is a listlessness about life in general. It is born of the difficulty to make ends meet in this city. Many people have multiple jobs and commitments desperately trying to make ends meet and find meaning in this deadening city. There is no time for the effort needed to sustain friendships or relationships. Everything becomes perfunctory. My goodness how I do love that word. Perfunctory: cursory, desultory, quick, brief, hasty, hurried, rapid, fleeting, token, casual, superficial, careless, halfhearted, sketchy, mechanical, automatic, routine, offhand, inattentive. ANTONYMS careful, thorough.. Relationships are fleeing, token, superficial and casual. There is no level of commitment or caring. It isn’t just me, she said defensively. (hahahaha). It is a common phenomena. I recently met a woman outside by precious RBC bank, we began talking and we were in TOTAL agreement and plan to have coffee on Friday to discuss the matte further. She is fleeing this place in June when her children finish their schooling, going to live in Seattle. The conversations are constant as i am rather known for my outspokenness on the matter.
But one thing must be made clear. When I return to San Francisco to live I shall be, in essence, starting over. Beginning anew. Of course there shall be a treasured few – friends terribly dear, like Jenn W and my Sensei,. Faithful and loyal companions. But a disappearance of many, where I was the social mainstay for a rather frayed group of people. My goodness, this is a day with many words. Mainstay shall be the new one, it just popped into my head. Sometimes I do wonder how my brain works (and doesn’t). Mainstay: central component, central figure, centerpiece, prop, linchpin, cornerstone, pillar, bulwark, buttress, chief support, backbone, anchor, foundation, base, staple. So there I was being the linchpin, the bulwark. the backbone for people who were rather unrelated to one another. The force, as friend Jenn. W says, the magnetic force. I left, then with no plans of return, and the whole thing sort of fell apart. it apparently fell apart, cannot say for sure, but there is no news of reunions (or even unions for that matter.)
The over riding principle that must be kept in mind is that this city, this place is not a place where I can grow old and die in. There are two overriding and critical factors. The health care is insufficient and the taxation is oppressive. When those two factors are combined with a frayed social system it is time to vamoose. My goodness what a great word that is and it jumped into my head. it is a verb meaning: depart hurriedly: we’d better vamoose before we’re caught
Well, at this moment I shall vamoose out of my comfortable bed and get to work packing so that I can vamoose Vancouver. My goodness what a great title for a book; Vamoosing Vancouver. But intensive plans for the day – taking a copy of my Tate book to the VAG library at VAG for one thing. A complicated meeting with Boss Lady and lunch with NYG. More later.
This is now later, the next morning. I was thinking about the abandonment of Sotheby’s Institute of Art and how it should be considered a charitable act in light of the wake of the probes showing that well-to-do parents bribed their kids’ way into elite colleges. Well, Sotheby’s Institute of Art is an elite institution so I have cleared the way so that a well-to-do parent can put some bribery money into the coffers of Sotheby’s. You are welcome – it feels so good to be charitable. There is a new guy in my life whose nickname is NYG. He asked the following question.
NYG: What is your favourite charity?
Me: You
NYG: I am not a charity! I cannot believe that you came up with that answer so quickly. It is funny.
He saw me after an absence of a day, looked up and said excitedly:
NYG: You’ve come.
Me: Not yet!
NYG: (laughing) I was not expecting that!
Me: Nor I. I told myself you were a horrible tease and then it is me that was the tease.
But he is not just a pretty face. I had a difficult task to attend to at the end of lunch. He clairvoyantly came and hugged me.
Me: Thank you. I needed that hug!
He: You are welcome! I could tell.
The task proved more onerous than was expected. But it was followed by an incredible interaction with a fascinating young woman that took all of the sting away. I shall speak of the good interaction in tomorrow’s blog.
My wonderful GIF friend was told of the horrible interaction and sent this hilariously funny GIF which hopefully will grace the blog. It is SO appropriate.
.
