Seriously, encapsulating the human experience is a rather abstract thing to do and writers/musicians/everyone has been trying to narrow it down since the beginning of time, but if I had to say what matters to me, it'd most likely be other people. I can keep myself entertained for a little while, but really, there's such superrad people out yonder. A while ago, I was going to do a journal entry where I did nothing but compliment my friends, but I knew that I'd obviously exclude some people unintentionally. And that's not cool.
Or I could try anyway.
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: NICE WORDS ABOUT PEOPLE! I suppose this shall be organized by the friends I've had longest, and then working backwards from there.
1. Justin - Thanks for being a great friend for 10 years. I can't wait until I just become fodder for jokes about a homeless lifestyle as you laugh laugh laugh from the top floor of your building... made of gold. You always are able to prove that there's more to life than being really, really, really, rediculously good-looking.
2. Brian - You are a constant sorce of fun and whimsy. And you're very good-looking.
3. John/Jack - Because you've always done whatver you've wanted to and that's a beautiful thing. And you're also very good-looking.
4. Paul - God bless you, man. You need to sort of get some things sorted out but you've been a fine friend for many years. Also: Good-looking.
5. Benji - My fellow partner in Italy and music snobbery. I think it's worth mentioning that you're very good-looking.
6. Johnathan M - Because you're able to do everything under the sun and still have time to listen to good techno and make rad videos. Note: good-looking.
7. Brian F - My very good childhood friend, and we both had a crush on the same girl through all of middle school! A very moral man.
8. Orlando - For being a minority in a mainly-white all-boys high school, you still had a remarkable sense of humor and intelligence. Perhaps that's why you're kicking ass at the School of Mines. I always liked you and had a deep respect for you.
9. Craigger - Since we're on a Mexican-theme! Hey, guy! Craig and I looked somewhat the same and he was an extremely good friend of mine for high school. Just an all-around solid guy. And damned funny.
10. Pete Whitaker - You know, I haven't even heard from you in years, and we weren't exactly close, but I was always rooting for you and was overjoyed to find out that, in college, you dyed your hair blue and became captain of the rowing team.
11. Tommy - A fellow swimmer, your parents were so incredibly nice and, in turn, so were you. Just a super fellow.
12. Lucas B - My best friend at Fort Lewis, and a fine, fine man. I still end up telling stories about you, like I did yesterday.
13. Benedict - Benny, you're completely insane and a very nice guy. I love you for it, even though you'd repeatedly run into my dorm room naked. Never boring, at least.
14. Katy "Captain" Kirksy - Somehow balancing between being the sweetest girl and also not being offended when Benedict would tell masturbation stories at dinner, a marvelous woman.
15. Michelle - Considering that I saw you recently and you're still a babe, as well as staying close to the issues that matter to you, you'll always be on this list, even if our correspondance isn't as tops as it could be.
16. Adam M - An extremely nice Fort Lewis guy who transferred at the same time that I did. Very nice, and I wish you the best, o'course.
17. Rebecca Trinite - You were the best girlfriend that I ever had. Now we're apart but you still have the same qualities that I loved about you from the start. Mainly, you're your own person and someone who I respect a lot. And your brother rules. So does your dog.
18. Cassandra S - My partner in crime on the swim-team, but also a great friend and recipiant of some fine conversations. Um, sometimes alcohol was involved. Whatever.
19. Anthony - You are one of the most animated and excellent people I know, and I love you for trying to convert me to like guys because you wanted me to yourself. I owe you an e-mail.
20. Lori-bone - For being such an incredible poet, as well as like the same bands that I do and nobody else does. You were always great for putting up with me when I'd come into your apartment at 2 in the morning and want to spoon.
21. Ryan Marle - For being an awesome roommate sophmore year as well as put up with a lot of crap that was handed his way. One of the most reliable men I know.
22. Nick - I haven't seen you in a bit, but if you get any better-looking or better at the guitar, I'll probably burst into flame.
23. Amander - You have this amazing balance of working at the children's hospital and camps for kids with cancer and also sometimes taking your clothes off for money, and I love you madly for it. You're always so excellent for relationship talks, or any talks, for that matter.
24. Meg Irby - For being one of the coolest girls at the entire Jamba place.
25. Julia - Ditto, except that you also have such a great view of women's bodies and such. Education = sexy.
26. Penney - I met you at Jamba but you're way outside of that. Thanks for helping me move, chatting with me until the early morning hours, and basically making the last few weeks you were around, specifically the night before you moved, some of the most amazing and emotionally intense days of my life.
27. Amy M0zar - Your last name might sound like a demi-god, and your dad might be one of the coolest people I know, and your dog might completely suck, but we've had some amazing times. Next time I'm in Chicago, you sexy thang!
28. Holly Fritz - I love your last name. And you're rad.
29. Matt - Partner of Miss Fritz. Thank you for coming to them poetry readings. Also: Very Handsome.
This is hard. heh. Ah, the italy section.
30. Laura-Bear - My muse for quite some time and a consistently awesome girl. Extremely intelligent, beautiful, and rad rad rad. And at times, brutally condescending. I love it. And... and I love you. Awww.
31. Ems - I know there was a tribute entry for you before, but still! The hair! The smile! The women's studies major! Yessss.
32. Shannon-bone - Uh, somehow, you're the most insanely funny girl that I know. That humor comes from a combination of wit, intelligence, and being hot. REALLY HOT. I wish that you weren't so racist, but outside of that, hey, no complaints. heh, remember when we killed that hobo?
33. Adriana - The last thirty minutes in Florence, the fountain at Rome, the insanity of theater practice, and the visits! Rock rock rock. We don't talk all the time but we don't need to. Thank you for existing.
34. Liz-biscuit - You know, you may be the sweetest girl that I know. You're lovely, hilarious, and I think you've got a pretty darn outlook on life, ma'am! May you live to be a thousand years.
35. Chrith - Chris, you blow my mind, and sometimes you blow other parts of me, too. That's why we're going to get married.
That entry was pretty profane.
36. Megs - Because now you're in my Word and Image class! You're so darn friendly and that's a wonderful quality.
37. Kate - Besides being a supermodel and spooning with me in Venice, you had a dreamlike quality about you with your ambitions and life, and I think that's more than enough to live upon.
38. Mark - Ah, my roommate in Italy. Uh, as I learned more and more of your perverse wit, I think I wanted to move our beds together so we could cuddle. And you kick ass at guitar.
39. Jen - Because somehow we came up with the completely un-suave nickname "Jen Bongoface" and you still loved us. Verona, baby.
40. Dikla - Shannon may not have liked you because you were Jewish, but I'm still cool with you.
41. Ben - You made spring break a total mess of absinthe, skeleton warriors, bone churches, and stomach-death-explosion-disease, and after that trip you faded off to Egypt, to write a letter saying "I'm drunk, and the wolves are after me". I think this entry speaks for itself.
42. Barrett - I wish I'd gotten that pint with you. Thanks for being brilliant, British, and awesome.
43. Laura - Now we enter the Red Robin arena. Thanks for being a wildly attractive hostess, and also an excellent partner for stripping down to our underwear and going swimming at night. heh.
44. Courtney - YOu had the definitive "red robin" face and always cheered me up, yo.
45. Rachel - I know, I know, I owe you a phone call. I'll get there. Hey, you live here! You were so much fun to work with.
46. Lanese - Perhaps we'll see each other some day, yo. But as long as you're around to say "okie dokie" from time to time, I don't think I'll ever be sad.
47. Nate - You are a very HANDSOME MAN, and also a darn fine friend. It's a recent development but still awesome. You have a stellar selection of t-shirts.
48. Carrie - Well, needless to say, we had some darn fine times between us. Thank you for being funny, a superior writer, and having one of the best spoon-compatable bodies ever. You were the subject of a tangle of poems. Thank you for that and other things. Mer.
49. Dana - Dana, I saw you last night! You always make me smile and you're a rad girl. I'm so glad that you and Nate and together.
50. Kerry - You also consistently make me happy. I think that's why your place is one of mirth and joy.
51. Melati - You have a quite wry sense of humor and great taste in music. Thanks for shopping in the dimention of hot, and putting up with Nate and I as we repeatedly find incredibly dumb ways of saying that you're aesthetically-pleasing.
52. Sara - you may have made my life a living hell while I justified why I would not, in fact, date you, but things were never boring and you have a passion for life that almost unnerves me. Easily, I have never met anyone like you.
53. Levi - You're such a great writer. And a great man. Doesn't that sum it up?
54. Math - Another great, great writer, and a totally interesting individual. Thanks for doing rad stuff like painting your nails and writing about lobster bisque.
55. Hope - Even though we've never actually met, I still find you to be a radical person and outragously attractive. Good luck keeping your pantheon of men in order, since I can't seem to do it.
56. Arianne - You said some of the kindest words about me the other day, which was one of the most sweet things I've read. I'm glad that you read this, too - I hope you always recognize what is important and what you shouldn't dwell on... and you write really well, yo!
57. Cat - I may hate the mammal, but I don't hate you. heh. Besides being one of the most interesting people I've met, you're also a fellow music geek, and hot, to boot. Hurrah!
58. James - Your band is totally rockin', and you're a fine man with potentially the best writer name that I've ever heard.
59. Mr. Zorbach Radzhihovsky, Prime General of Eastern Russia: Man, we've had some wild times, brother! Remember when we got really drunk and passed the "No Pants On Friday" law? I can't believe it didn't die right on the floor.
60. Taylor - Back in the polls, ladies and gentlemen! After a long absence, she's back and better than ever! My first kiss, one of my longest childhood friends, and not to mention a babe. Here's to many more moons of conversation.
61. Ty and Mark - My fellow patriots of inner-tube water polo: today, we will take the championships. There is no room for failure. We will succeed.
Honerable Mention: Because this is naturally outside of the list of "friends", I should give special praise to my awesome parents and brother. Without my folks, I:
a. Wouldn't be half the person that I am.
b. Woudn't exist. heh.
You've done a wonderful job raising two sons in the face of difficulty that would take some families under. Whenever anyone says that I'm like either of you, it's a wonderful compliment. And Adam: well, I can't quite begin to explain you, heh, but I love you and hope to one day throw the "Adam's Camp" party where you come dressed in a suit. It's in the works, friend.
I love my dog, too, even though she's DEAD.
This list was a bad idea, as I'm sure I'm forgetting people. I'm sure they'll LET ME KNOW, though. heh. Much love, everyone. I'm lucky to have even a fraction of these people who care about me. Much respect and admiration.
Jared