My Friend Rosalind

Now, I know that normally my blogs are either ranting about something (the clue is in the name), or making a completely pointless list, but today I would like to tell you (all three of you) about my friend Rosalind. I apologise if you like the sarcastic, cynical humour I usually employ in my writing, but this is gonna be a tad more serious I'm afraid...

Now Roz has been my best friend for several years now, and we spend more time together than is probably healthy for many friendships. We've only ever had one proper argument (and I think it basically just involved throwing a bottle of water at each other harder than was strictly necessary) and I tell her more or less everything, whilst she tells me things she doesn't tell others (just to be clear, I don't mean life-changing secrets, I just mean those embarrassing, obsessive little things you do that you resolve not to tell anyone for fear of them realising just how geeky you are). The reason we're friends is a continual mystery to me, since we are NOTHING like each other -- I'm loud, gobby, moody, cynical, blunt, open and generally quite an outgoing, extroverted nerd. Roz is quiet, unbelievably mild-mannered, secretive, indecisive, generous, tactful and blessed with a semi-permanently sunny disposition. The two traits we do share are laziness and stubborness, which is not a good thing -- ever had a half-hour argument with someone over who has to get out of bed and turn the light off? Ever lost one? Quite frustrating.

Anyway, that introductory paragraph was waaaayy too long, so I'll get to the point. Ish.

My friendship with Roz was called into service last week, when Roz's boyfriend of three months broke up with her. Now this is a much bigger deal than it sounds, and much bigger than I had expected it to be -- Roz had never shown much interest in guys before, and this was her first boyfriend; I would have expected her to go into the relationship cautiously, carefully and with a certain amount of arms-lengthness (that's definitely not a word) involved. But she didn't -- she fell for this guy hook, line and sinker, only to have him break up with her after three months. The consequences were, frankly, horrible. As far as I'm concerned, nobody is allowed to make Roz cry, and certainly not to that extent -- it tore at my heart to see hers so battered. Anyway, it's been over a week since it happened, and though I'm still sure it's bothering her more than she's letting on, she has definitely cheered up.

The thing is, I felt absolutely bloody awful, because I am completely unnecessarily mean to Roz sometimes. Not in a bullying way, just in that snide, slightly bitchy way that girls have and I desperately wish I didn't. This means that just occassionally I'll snap at her, because she's being so optimistic when I'm feeling so determined to be grumpy, or I'll sigh irritably at her because she hasn't made a decision quite fast enough for me, or I'll subtly put her down because she looks so bloody fantastic in that skirt that I feel like the dumpy, bespectacled friend in comparison (not that I am bespectacled these days...I was just going for the imagery). And I know that these moments of bitchiness are born of insecurities, but there's absolutely no need to take it out on Roz, and in moments of confession like this, I know that Blunt Becky's advice to Whiney Becky would be to get a grip and stop being such a girl.

But the thing is, however much I moan and gripe and whine about and to Roz, she's one of the absolute best people in the world, and a continuing inspiration to me. I realise this has been a really gushy, heavy-going, girly and overly-long post, but just occasionally I like to take a break from the cynicism (being that sceptical and sarcastic is tiring you know) and appreciate the things and the people I DO have, rather than whining about what I don't.

So to summarise; I adore my friend Rosalind, and not just because she wouldn't tell anybody that I bought charlieissocoollike's band's single.