Thing #8: Make a new friend

It’s hard to make friends, right?  I mean real friends.   It’s easy to make the kind of friends you might call up once in a while to borrow their hand-held mixer. 

Those mixer friends are cool, don’t get me wrong, we all need those mixer friends but will they be there for you after all this mixing business is over?  Will they turn up at your place with chocolate and chick flicks when you are feeling emotionally unstable?   Will they be there beside you when you’re ill, watching Geordie Shore and concerned about your intake of Iron and Vitamin C?  Will they be angry at the people who upset you and like the people who make you smile?  Will they laugh at all your stupid jokes?  Will they recount and overanalyse the same scenarios and situations with you again and again?  Will they indulge you in games of  Would You Rather while sunbathing on the beach? (Would you rather be attacked by a fully grown lion or 70 house cats?) Will they gently steer you away from bad life choices?  Will they use their hand-held mixer to make you pancakes for breakfast and awesome cakes for your birthday?  Will they?  I’m not suggesting that you are emotionally unstable, that you watch Geordie Shore or that you have any kind of obsession with food.   I’m clearly just talking about myself.

Moving on.

It’s hard to make friends.  Still, since starting The Day Zero Project, I’ve made three.  I’m lucky (I know it) and I’m counting my blessings. One, two, three.

Allow me to introduce them.

This is Marie, Lucy, AnneMarie (and me).  Love you guys!  You know it.

I have to tell you a story that prompted me to write this post today:  Last night, we were all hanging out together watching a crazy desert thunderstorm in Ruwais.  After it reduced to mild, far-away lightning flashes, Lucy and I wanted to chance the 15-minute walk home.  We could have just have just stayed put but we’re both stubborn like that and have a baby-like attachment to our own beds.  A lengthy discussion ensued about whether it was a smart idea, ending in Lucy and I stealing a glance at each other that said this is so silly, let’s just go- and we did.  It felt weird and cool to run through the deserted streets in the rain (It almost never rains here) but along the way, I couldn’t get the look on the other girls’ faces out of my head.  AnneMarie:  angry frustration at our obstinacy;  Marie: pure uncensored worry.  I’m so sorry I did that to you.  But more than anything, it made me realise how much we all care about each other.  And that’s nice. 

On a lighter note, aren’t they all just ridiculously good-looking?  That’s totally not a prerequisite for being my friend!

€5 has been donated to UNICEF Ireland for the completion of this ‘thing’.  Click here if you too would like to donate online.