I was thinking about friendship today. Friendship and adulting. The tiniest things can really make all the difference. For example, there are certain thresholds you cross in order to cement a friendship; things I think as grown ups we take for granted. Adulting is a fantastic occupation but requires enormous strength (for me at any rate). I was at a dinner party hosted by a friend the other day and we were introduced to a new associate who we didn't know well but wanted to get to know more. We shared the cooking and participated in conversation and then sat down in the lounge for after dinner drinks and more chats. Now at this point I have to share that my friend is the type of person who likes to present a pristine image of calm, warm, mildly perfectionist demeanour. Everything has its poise and place. She is a *lady*. When it was time for our new associate to leave we got up to show them to the door but as we did my friend let rip a rather large, bubbly-sounding fart (the perils of chick peas in my humble opinion). The grown up thing occurred in that we all pretended we heard nothing and I kept it together, which, for those of you who know me the most, is a miracle in itself, and continued to wish our new friend a good evening. A win for Mim. For now at least. However, like a brewing flatulent itself, after they'd left I turned to my friend, gave them a big hug, thanking them for such a lovely evening and while they were still in my embrace I couldn't resist any more. I whispered into their ear, "I just want you to know... that I totally heard *that*", at which point my friend collapsed in my arms and let out a big sigh, "ohhh nooo I'd hoped no-one heard..." Quite how anyone could have missed it is beyond me. Triumphant adulting. Furious giggling ensued afterwards. Adulting suggests that we pay no attention to these digestive pyrotechnics for the sake of courtesy and politeness. Friendship bends those rules. We crossed a threshold that evening and have been close ever since.
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