A very mixed up post

About friendships

One of the blogs I quite enjoy reading is Marcia's blog (click here).

She always has some great ideas and often very thought-provoking posts.  Her latest post all about friendship and just how easy it is for you to be vulnerable in a friendship was pretty interesting to read (click here).

I would say for me - I'm typically pretty reserved.  And honestly it is not you...it's me.  Totally.  Nothing personal, just that it feels safe to be able to hide behind the walls you put up throughout your life.  And in fact in December I wrote about exactly this:

Do you think I cannot see
What is beneath your eyes?
That what you say is not always true
But sometimes only lies

I think sometimes it's easier
To pretend and hide behind
The walls that are around your heart
Not to share what's on your mind

I think it's sometimes simpler
To wear a happy mask
Than face the fears and demons
Answer the questions some might ask

But when the day is over
And there's no-one else to see
Surrounded by the darkness
That's when you'll simply be

I keep this poem with all my others here.  To me it kind of says how we all go through life and pretend and hide because it seems simpler and easier, but of course when it is just you and your thoughts then the real you kind of comes up to the surface - does that make sense?

Without naming anybody -

At the moment there are quite a few people I feel I get along with and some I would regard as really good friends.  Which is a bit weird for me, because I do struggle to make friends.  Acquaintances - sure that's pretty easy, but to feel that I have something in common with another person takes a lot more work for me.

Just yesterday as I stood there outside Caitlyn's class I looked at all the other mums waiting for their kids and thought that I very much do not fit into their group.  They are all nice enough, but it just seems like I have absolutely nothing in common with them.  Sometimes I don't think I'm very typical and then it becomes hard to relate to others.

One friendship in particular I would describe as my closest where I have (as Marcia said) become very "vulnerable" and opened up more than I would typically open up in a friendship, but then this friendship is based on absolute and mutual trust.  Where we both know each other really well.  We know that we can both trust each other completely.  And this is the kind of friendship I truly appreciate, value and hope will last!

I'm not naming anybody in this post.  These friends I referred to know who they are...

Do you have that kind of relationship with your friends?

About Dedication...

I'm really proud of Rose's and my dedication.  Instead of sleeping late on a Saturday morning, she came to pick me up at 8:30 so we could go to our Saturday training session with Lynley (click here).  Are we dedicated or what???

If you are in the Kapiti area, come join us.  It is really affordable and Lynley is a very accomplished athlete.  Sometimes we'll be doing some biking sessions, when it warms up a bit we'll be doing some sea swim sessions and there will be some run sessions.  Right now we are a great bunch of ladies of all shapes and sizes and fitness levels (some of us like me with almost non-existent fitness levels), and if the interest is there I'm sure Lynley will have some sessions for the guys as well.

This morning's session was a run-technique session.  She explained some good technique for running, did a few core exercises and we did a short run at whatever pace we felt comfortable with and practising some of the technique she showed us.  An advantage of doing this as part of the group is that not only is it very supportive, but it does keep you going.  For me running is very much a mind set thing where I often stop running and start walking instead when I start telling myself that it is hard work.  But of course in a group setting you are more likely to keep going.   

Afterwards I went to register for tomorrow's half marathon walk and I am all set.  I believe it is a beautiful setting for this walk all along the beach and it will be an interesting experience.  Exhausting I'm sure because I've never walked that distance all in one go. 

About a fun outing

After I came back from my morning training session and sorted my entry for the walk tomorrow, we took the kids to Queen Elizabeth Park.  Queen Elizabeth park has one of the nicest beaches.  There we caught the tram (which was made in 1923 or something) and it took us to where the Kapiti Festival (click here) was being held.

When the tram pulled up this song jumped into my mind:

We didn't stay too long in the end, but it was a nice relaxing outing.

Here are some photos:

Here comes the tram

On our way to have some fun.

The kids loved this slide!

They had this bouncy castle thingy in the sea, but we didn't do this.

How was your Saturday?  What did you get up to?