~By Giddy
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
~Saint Thomas Aquinas
In honor of my pal Carol’s birthday this week, I am doing something a bit different for the weekly blog. Unlike all our past blogs, this one has nothing to do with Steve & Kayla, or Stephen & Mary Beth, or heck, even soaps in general. This week’s blog is about life, and more specifically about friendship. Anyone who knows me knows what a huge fan I am of ‘I Love Lucy,’ hence my choice of the above clip as what I hope is a worthy tribute to someone I consider a wonderful and true friend.
Now, most of us know Carol and we know she is not one to seek attention or revel in praise. In fact, her irritating modesty is one of her most endearing traits. So I have no doubt this blog will have to be posted when she is not around or she will insist I take it down.
I first got to know Carol a little over two years ago, quite literally by accident. Back in those days I was not at all a fan fic reader. I never even went into that section of the forum because I didn’t think it would ever be something that would appeal to me. But one day I noticed this title “Wanted” that kept popping up in the most recent topics and I became curious. Actually, I thought ‘who is this yahoo that thinks she can write a halfway believable cowboy story featuring Steve and Kayla as the main characters?’
So I clicked on the link and entered the world of fan fic addiction. By then the story was on chapter 10 I believe, and I was completely riveted through every single chapter. I was dumbfounded for a number of reasons, mostly that it had taken me so long to discover the story, and also because I couldn’t believe that this wawame gal was not a professional writer.
Though I remained a silent stalker in the beginning, it didn’t take me long to jump in and start begging for updates along with everyone else. Somewhere around chapter 14, when Kayla was attempting to bring down Steve’s fever from the knife wound, I was so enthralled with the story I simply had to PM the author and tell her how much I loved her story. And that is where the friendship was born.
She responded to me with a laugh and said it was actually my banner that had inspired her story. She had been trying to come up with a fan fic story idea and had been perusing people’s banners for inspiration. At that time I was using the “Cowboy Up” banner which had been made at my request by the lovely and talented Sweetness1975. And of course my screen name at that time was giddyupcowgirl, so it was only fitting that I have cowboy Steve as my signature.
Carol thanked me for my vocal support of her story, and of course went on and on about how she didn’t deserve so much praise for doing something that came naturally to her. Um okay, so writing a story worthy of being published comes naturally and there is no need for kudos? Yeah, whatever Carol.
Anyway, from that moment forward a wonderful friendship blossomed. I have come to understand, through Carol’s unwavering devotion, what it is to have a true friend. Carol and I just ‘get’ each other, for lack of a better word, and I am forever thankful that she is a part of my life. Our trust in each other is beyond reproach and our bond is unbreakable. It baffles me on some level that such a close friendship could have been borne in such a non-traditional way, and yet I don’t question it, I just give thanks for it.
So as you celebrate your….um….40ish birthday this week Carol, I want you to know how much you mean to me, and to a lot of other people. I know the ladies on RTM would agree wholeheartedly that you are truly one of a kind in your talent, humor, dignity, professionalism, devotion and attitude. You are what makes RTM such a special place and I dare say you are the cornerstone of its success.
Happy Birthday!!….Oh, and what about that ‘Wanted’ update you have been promising since Monday???
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