Booze Bag: the tribute

I had a great visit with my friend Booze Bag last night. She picked me up on Chapel Street and we went to St. Kilda. I wanted to check it out because I hadn't really spent any time there and wanted to take it in before leaving this gorgeous city.

In the couple of hours that we spent together, I was reminded once again how lucky I am to have friends like her. We've known each other for 11-1/2 years now, and we're totally different people now than back then. But some things never change: Booze Bag is one of the kindest, most caring, compassionate people I know. Despite the name (born of a life spent in many a bar in Whistler back in the old days), Booze Bag is a responsible mother now, and I bet her daughter turns into just as amazing a person as Booze Bag and her husband are.

We spoke last night, among other things, about the importance of family in our lives. Her cousin (who is like a sister) has just moved overseas and Booze Bag is going to miss her terribly, but understands the reasons for her moving. We talked about living far away from family, about how grandparents enjoy their time with grandkids on a different level than time spent rearing their own children, and about Booze Bag being remarkably close to her siblings growing up.

During my time living in Australia, I've had a lifeline available to me: my sisters in Brisbane. And I'm starting to realize that I won't have them as close to me in the future as I have over the past 17 months. This thought has struck me, quite literally, only in the past few minutes since starting this post. And that's one of the reasons that I like blogging: because it makes me think about stuff that I might not normally consider.

The fact that I won't as close to my sisters doesn't sit that well with me, to be honest. But I need to give that some more thought and try to put some concrete "stuff" around it before I get too wrapped up in it. But the real reason I started this post was to talk a bit about Booze Bag and how great she is, so let's get to it.

I came out of the closet on March 17, 1997 (again, you'll notice my ridiculous admirable capacity for remembering dates) to my cousin. It took a further two months to be able to grab the courage to start telling my friends in Whistler. But when I finally decided to get it done, I wanted to tell my closest friends first and foremost. The ones who meant the most to me and were my Whistler family. Booze Bag was one of the six people I put on my "Coming Out List."

I asked Booze Bag to have a bite to eat at Citta's in the Village. Many an evening had been spent partying on that perfectly-positioned patio, and it was always the easiest place to meet a friend for a drink and a visit. I'm sure we had a beer, and probably ordered one of the usuals: the seven-layer dip or nachos. And when it came time to tell Booze Bag, I think I scared her. I got a bit emotional and didn't do a great job of getting the words out but, eventually, I blurted out the fact that I was gay, and took a deep breath. And, not surprisingly, Booze Bag was awesome. Like the caring, amazing person she is, Booze Bag got up out of her chair, came over to my side of the table, and gave me a big hug filled with plenty of love, understanding and compassion. And she reminded me why I thought so highly of her back then, and continue to think so highly of her to this day.

I've seen Booze Bag grow from a pretty 22-year-old kid (was she really that young when we first met?!) into a beautiful woman. She's a wife and mother now, but still loves the occasional splash of red wine, the occasional night out (most recently to see the circus!), the occasional foray to see DJ SJ McFunk, and the occasional attempt at setting me up (too bad he never called). And she's still an awesome friend who holds a very special place in my heart.

I told Booze Bag that I realized long ago that I obtain my riches in life through the people I meet and the places that I'm lucky enough to visit. It doesn't get much better than St. Kilda on a quiet Monday night with Booze Bag. She's absolutely the best!

PS: Have I told you about the time when Booze Bag and her friend Blonde Girl stole a car? Maybe I'll tell that story one of these days, because it's still one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed/been a part of.