friendship – Square One Notes

Notes on Friendship Part 1

January 1, 2020December 31, 2019 by Sandra, posted in Biographies, Interviews

I have the best subscribers and I’m rounding up evidence to prove it. My master plan is to invite one follower to participate in a brief Q and A post once a month. My good friend Mark Bialczak was kind enough to be my first feature.

Mark is a writer who you can count on for a good movie, tv, or live entertainment recommendation. I especially enjoy hearing about the time he shares with his family:

Dear Wife Karen (DWK)

Beautiful daughter Elisabeth and George 3

Faithful rescue pup Ellie B aka Dogamous Pile

Mark is my first Square One Notes friend. He posted a story about his parents Frank and Dolores and guess what? Those are my parents’ names too! Based on this empirical evidence we concluded that we must be related. Never mind that my Frank and Dolores are Mendez (Mexican) and his are Bialczak (Polish). This was before DNA tests were all the rage so we just ran with it. We even wound the two family trees into the “Bialdez” clan and became siblings.

Thank you Mark for being my friend, allowing me to adopt you as my bro, and for humoring me with this Q and A:

1) You’re in your car. What’s in your ears? (ie: radio, satellite, podcasts, audiobooks, silence, etc)

I switch between old-fashioned radio stations with classic rock, top 40 and sports.

2) When was your best birthday ever and why?

Every birthday is a good birthday for me. I’m glad to make it another year on this Earth.

3) You have one hour to kill, how do you spend it?

I read novels a lot. I watch movies on my Blu-Ray. I walk Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle.

4) What drew you to WordPress, what keeps you active?

I needed to keep writing when I got laid off after 30 years at the big daily. Starting my own blog seemed to be a natural outlet to keep the juices flowing, and WordPress seemed easy enough. The social aspect of the platform turned out to be rewarding, too.

5) How would you like to be remembered?

I want to be known as mostly kind and respectful, but also loyal and unafraid to stand up for what and those I believe in.

Me, my daughter Elisabeth and her significant George III before a Syracuse University football game.

For more on what Mark is up to visit his blog. He delivers thoughtful content regularly and keeps the conversation going in the comments. Thanks again for the cameo bro!

Xoxo

Sandra

Old Friends

January 19, 2018 by Sandra, posted in Pictures

There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met. Jim Henson

We Congregate and Loiter

May 22, 2014June 22, 2014 by Sandra, posted in short story

“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” -John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

I started my blog with WordPress and felt like I was clapping with one hand for a long time.

Then one day a friendly kindred took a chance and hit the follow button.

bla bla…music bla bla…clowns bla bla…punchline…

Then another kind soul joined us. Pretty soon I wasn’t talking to myself but I was chatting with other like minded people.

We congregate around words and loiter among pictures. And rather like it!

I became a part of a gang. Not a thugish lot more of a collection of odd balls, think high school chess club minus the steroids. What’s that? Your chess club wasn’t on the juice? Ok, forget it. Bad analogy. I’m missing the point. Refocus. Let’s try another quote, shall we?

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” -C.S. Lewis

and one more to make up for the steroids tangent:

“I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.” -Walt Whitman

If you’re reading this, you’re a subscriber which means you’re a friend. Thank you sweet pal!

xoxo,

Sandra

Filed under: Thoughts on Friendship. A Suzie81 Speaks prompt.