Signs of Friendship

I'm reading Northanger Abbey now, since its the only Austen novel I haven't read, and I came across a lovely quote that fits perfectly with this blog. It is just after Catherine has met Mr. Tilney, and he starts talking to her friend Mrs. Allen. Catherine is left to her own thoughts, and when Mr. Tilney asks her what she was thinking about, she denies that she was thinking of anything. Tilney replies: "That is artful and deep, to be sure; but I had rather be told at once that you will not tell me."

"Well, then, I will not" [Catherine retorts]

Tilney then states: "Thank you; for now we shall soon be acquainted, as I am authorized to tease you on this subject whenever we meet, and nothing in the world advances intimacy so much."

See, even Jane Austen new that teasing is a sign of friendship.

Texting is a interesting phenomenon. Can you imagine what people did before cell phones, heck, before telephones? What they did before facebook, email, gchat, and skype? Oh, right, they probably talked face to face.

But sometimes distance separates us. And sometimes, you just don't have quite enough to say to warrant a phone call. And sometimes (okay, most times), you're just a little bored. So you text someone, hoping that they are just as bored as you, and that they will reply.

And it turns out, they do. In fact, they reply fantastically. And you continue an amazing conversation, filled with laughter, and probably Harry Potter quotes. And if that person says exactly the right thing, that's when you know. You are friends.

P.S. I still have saved on my phone some texts from Brittney, all of which refer to Harry Potter.

A friend and I were discussing nicknames. I say that there are three types of people:

1. Those who wait until they feel comfortable to call you a nickname, who wait and see if others call you that nickname.

2. Those who immediately call you the nickname, or a nickname they made up.

3. Those who will never call you the nickname.

In the case of the first one, those people are waiting to become better friends. In the case of the second one, they want to jump right in to being friends. And in the last one...I'm not exactly sure.

But the point of the matter is: a nickname = friends.

I love quoting movies. After seeing a movie once, I remember random quotes from it. Weird, I know.

Most times, I'll recite a quote that fits perfectly into a situation. And nobody gets it.

But those rare times when someone does get it, oh, I live for that.

And when one of your friends gets the movie quote, that when you know. You are friends.