In the human experience, what is it we value most? Family and the power of love come to mind at first blush, but as incredibly significant as these factors are, it seems that what follows closely behind is the experience of friendship. With family, for better or for worse, we are not really presented with a choice. Our parents, siblings, cousins and grandparents are automatically entwined with our lives which is almost always a wonderful thing. But, not always. As they say, we don't get to choose our family. But, friendship offers another path to happiness. Part of the beauty of friendship is that we get to choose those who we want to call a friend. So often what forms that bond is shared experience and perhaps a set of shared values. And, what follows are those indelible moments of shared laughter, compassion and joy that helps enrich our lives like almost nothing else.
I am happy to say that what I have described above is exactly what we have experienced with our dear friends, Janie and Gordy. It started years ago when Lily and I were new to the Wild Dunes community and we were hoping to spread our wings to expand our social circle since when we moved down here we knew no one and had left behind a lifetime of family and friends. We had joined the local yacht club -- even though we had no boat -- and looked for an opportunity to join the club on a sail down to Beaufort. We reached out to the club to see if anyone would take us on with them and lo and behold we heard from Janie and Gordy and their friends Rick and Gail inviting us to ride with them aboard the Finlaggan, Janie and Gordy's boat. Looking back, it seems like it didn't take more than twelve seconds on board to realize we were going to have a great time. The laughter and good times started almost immediately as we learned about each other's lives as well as our strengths and foibles. We knew we had made new friends. Perfect.
We flash forward to a couple of years ago when the four of us and our dear friend, Maggie, ventured to the south coast of England where our shared experience there further strengthened the already strong bond that we had. Through all our shared meals, our B&B stays, card games, and the sometime terror of navigating the crazily narrow roads of the countryside from the left side of the road, the trip proved to be a classic example of what friendship can provide: joy, laughter, important and unimportant conversations and, in the end, happiness.
Now, here we are in 2021 and Janie and Gordy have left the local scene. They have decided to leave Wild Dunes and move to Greenville to simplify their lives and be closer to family. A wonderful move for them, but one that created some sad moments for those of us staying here knowing that our friendship would take on a different tone, a new strategy. A new challenge, you might say. But, Lily and I have no doubts our bonds will stay as strong as they have ever been.
And, so it was only appropriate that in anticipation of their departure, we send them off in style with our wonderful friends, Mark and Becky, who have so clearly enjoyed their own introduction to Janie and Gordy and who have developed their own friendship with them as well. It started with a wonderful dinner at The Obstinate Daughter, seated at a round table -- perfect for a group conversation and shared laughs. I have a feeling the laughter may have been enhanced a bit by the steady flow of martinis, wine, beer, and designer cocktails. But, that's just my opinion.
Best of all, though, was one final session of "Oh Hell" at Mark and Becky's house after dinner, a weekly tradition all of us had strongly embraced for some time. For those of you unfamiliar with this tortuously funny card game, let's just say it is a game where the best strategies are often crushed, where bidding on the number of tricks you think you can take are often wildly inaccurate, and where certain plays are often accompanied by loud squeals of both delight and exasperation. While I cannot solely attribute this to the whims of alcohol, it seems like every seven seconds someone is asking, "what did I bid??" While we all strive to win, the joy lies in the comedy wrought by the all but certain ups and downs and the sardonic pleasure of seeing your playmates' miscalculations vividly on display. It doesn't hurt that at the midpoint of each of these games we take a time out and dive into dessert which on this night -- courtesy of Mark and Becky -- was a scrumptious homemade key lime pie featuring a crust that will surely be recommended for sainthood it was so good. (Although, interestingly, it appears the pie was, in part, the product of a brain fart in which the pie was supposed to be cooked for 15 minutes but ended up cooking for twice that long since the oven timer -- which had been set for 15 minutes -- said the same thing 30 minutes later since neither Mark nor Becky had remembered to actually activate the damn thing. But, I'm telling you, this proved to be perhaps one of the best, most tasty brain farts ever!)
Once seated again with cards in our hands, the laughs reached epic highs. I use that last term somewhat on purpose since Lily was in a sort of altered state herself. Herbed up, some might say. She had just returned from the bathroom where she had experienced one of those Japanese style bidet-like toilets that offer interesting alternatives to toilet paper. You know, like the rocket-like streaming of water to parts underneath. Well...Lily's description of this experience would have been achingly funny enough just listening to her words. But, her words were laced with with so much of her own laughter coupled with the kind of tears that can only be produced by one's total immersion in the humor of their own story that the story telling experience morphed into one of the funniest moments in modern history. Seriously.
This evening, with all its culinary and beverage delights plus the animated conversation and laughter plus the engagement in what has become one of our favorite games is what friends provide and magnify. So wonderful to share this last evening in town with folks who enrich our lives.
We will see you soon, Janie and Gordy! Keep the cards handy!
