The language of friendship is not words but meanings.....

[thoreau]

Brett in his classroom at Colorado Academy

Twenty two years ago - I met Brett James. (septimuswarren) He was just 21 - I was 19. I was stationed in the US Navy at Mare Island going to school to be a cryptographer. I joined the base affiliated boy scout troup and ended up up at Silverlake Boy Scout Camp - (about 40 miles southwest of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada). Brett and I bonded immediately - - and have been friends ever since. I returned once to serve on staff with Brett the following year. Then we saw each other through major life transitions -

• I came out in 1989, I tested positive in 1993, lost Joe in 1994, and he was the strongest voice of support through the end of my relationship with Jon in Idaho - and my move to San Francisco.


• He got married, finished his masters - moved to Denver, divorced and came out and spent last year struggling very hard at a difficult school - and is now shining bright at a brand new college prep academy in Denver as the new kid on the block after 15 years of teaching.

Lately He and I have been sharing his search for the spiritual, a shared love of Rumi and Hafiz - and of course Uncle Walt (Whitman) and Henry David Thoreau. He is one of those friends I cannot imagine having in my life. David and I were talking last night over dinner about the things we loved about our vacation - and I just adored introducing David to Brett. David describes him as "one upbeat fellow..." and that is the perfect description.

Our visit to see Brett in Denver was all too brief - and we'll be back again very soon to see him - and spend weekends cooking and drinking wine - and finding out what the next 20 years of friendship will bring to us. I really feel Brett is on the verge of a real life course-altering epiphany... the energy around him right now is palatable. It makes me VERY excited to be part of his family of friends - and makes me ready to support whatever might come his way.

Friends like Brett are an indispensable bond. Uncle Walt said "...I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends..." I used to think that way - and not embrace my friends as closely as I might have. But - particularly in the last couple of years - my core group of brothers become more and more and more important to me. The Thoreau qoute I used as the subject-line for this post is a favorite because it really speaks to taking friendship to that NEXT level - - where friendship means deeper things - discovers deeper things - becomes a meaning in your life.

Brett's place in my life has more meaning every single day.

Yay!³

Comments

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

Oh, and BTW, he's handsome and brilliant, too!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

the hawtness is pretty undeniable - it's true.

and the brilliance - is staggering sometimes. The quality he brings to EVERY conversation is very heart warming.

[kenwoodville.livejournal.com]

We should all have friends like this in our lives...and we should never hesitate to embrace them, and we should never be afraid to take our friendships to a deeper level.

BTW, I didn't know, of if I did I had forgotten that you were in the Navy...

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

My time in the Navy was a SUPREMELY unhappy time in my life - it was almost like going to prison. We'll chat about it sometime.

[kenwoodville.livejournal.com]

That would be nice...having been in the Army I can certainly understand.

[badgerpdx.livejournal.com]

Oh deary me...it's that dapper professor look I find so charmingly irresistable.

Nice post BTW.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

Brett really is somethin' else!

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

Robert -

OK, the final pic of Brett, with the board and his lesson?

WOW. That *is* him. I can't (and maybe don't need to) say anything else right now ...

... except, "thank you" for this, and for introducing me to Brett three years ago. His friendship is a tremendous, amazing thing.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

It was a great photo opportunity - and I'm planning on printing it up nicely for Brett. :) and sending it to him

[balanceinchaos.livejournal.com]

It is always a heart-brightening experience to read of true/deep friendships.

Thank you, as usual, for sharing that light with us.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Love that final photo of Brett!! We are so lucky to have him in our lives .. and you have the pure joy of knowing him for so many years.

HUGS!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

yeah- we both looked at one another this past week and thought - HOLY SHIT we're 41 and 43 - when did that happen? LOL!

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

great post and yeah he has that feel about him.

it was great to finally meet you and to enjoy a meal together.

thanks again.

namaste

[bear-left.livejournal.com]

He's teaching post-modernism to high schoolers? I'm impressed!

Oh yeah, great post & great pics :)

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

White Noise by Don Dellilo - Brett wrote his masters thesis on the novel and is thrilled to be teaching it.