Flightless Bird

"The attractions of this subject are not to be resisted, and I leave, for the time, all account of subordinate social benefit, to speak of that select and sacred relation which is a kind of absolute, and which even leaves the language of love suspicious and common, so much is this purer, and nothing is so much divine." --Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friendship

Upon contemplating what the true nature of an Emersonian friend, I developed a list of three essential qualities.
1. Patience
2. Consistency
3. Acceptance

On the issue of patience, I found myself only moderately qualified. Though I promised to be calm and reserved while listening to the woes of a friend, internally I was eager to learn the full details of the situation. For that I was deeply ashamed and wished to apologize sincerely. The slight impatience was not fully manifested on the front, but perhaps it was not quite the sin I thought it to be. Perhaps it was just true interest in the life of my equal. I have often found that I am in the company of many talented individuals who fail to express themselves in a way that is neither tactless or insincere. I, myself, am not excluded from that description. In this affair, I have always been patient. I prefer them to be blunt, and perhaps rudely in society, honest. It reflects the genuine and slightly childish nature of these persons. Though typically irritating, I find it endearing.

Consistency has never been a strong suit of mine. When told to list all the characteristics of my personality, each trait found its counterpart somewhere else on the page. The only quality that did not, was "mercurial." Though my nature has never been particularly even in nature, I tried to maintain a strength of character that could set my friends at peace when they needed consolation. Whether or not this was successful must be inquired of those I had coexisted with in those spaces of discussion.

With the closing of my day attempting to live up to the ideals of Emerson, I reflected on the experience with a surprisingly unassuming calmness of nature. Each quality of my friends that could be easily viewed as negative and possibly even social diseases, I merely shrugged them off. My friends were who they were, and I had willingly committed myself to a relationship of loyalty. The day seemed to reconfirm whatever it was I had held as true prior to the experiment. Nothing had changed, I had simply become more aware of what was true.

As a simple side note, this may be something only a few friends already know, but I'll repeat it here. I have taken to wearing this necklace. It is an iron cast globe surrounded by a claddagh ring. The ring is a traditional Irish ring that is given as a friendship ring or worn as a wedding ring. The hands represent friendship, as the heart is to love, and the crown is to loyalty. I bought the ring with one of my best friends during the summer. The necklace together is a statement of my personal philosophy, that the world can exist because it is supported by friendship, love and loyalty.

Photo Credits
1. Untitled - Christine Wang (Madrid, Spain)
2. Even Ground - Christine Wang (Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California)
3. Together in Exile - Christine Wang (Del Mar, California)
4. Offering - Christine Wang