Independent Woman

I've got a friend in Australia who's met a new love. Well actually not a love as such, someone she likes. I guess it's like a crush or an interest. She's resisting a little, because she doesn't want a relationship at the moment - not that it's even heading that way, but she figures she won't even look in that direction. When drunk, I emailed her (poor girl) lines of Bette Midler's The Rose:

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance It's the dream afraid of wakingthat never takes the chance It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live

(BTW: There's a story here about my mother and karaoke that only therapy will coax out of me) In other less sickly words: no pain, no gain.

I reckon she should just go for it. Often the new brand of divas (class that as any woman I woudn't mind being stuck in an elevator with) are a bit wary of getting into relationships because we want to be independent. I know a few of my friends had some sort of strange intestinal feeling when I became formal with The SO because they thought my independent days are over. Far from it. True independence is being able to have a range of different relationships with people and still be true to yourself and what you want to do.

It's an easy concept to write down, but harder in practice. Take me and the SO for example (see this post really is about me and not my poor friend Downunder who's reading this and cringing!) I love having The SO around. I have re-discovered the joy of cooking (especially as he loves eating it!) and the whole nurture part of me is coming out. But I also love my space. I was probably really horrible this morning, shoving him out the door with a kiss and muttering "this isn't a hotel you know", sending him off with a container of soup under his arm and telling him he's in my space, all in the same breath.

It takes a while to get the balance right, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

On a far less grown up note, Independent Woman, as sung by northern kittens - something only those who had spent some time Oop North in England will get. I love it... Make sure your volume is up, get yer clogs and flat cap out and dance round 'ouse.

"Gel I didn't know yer could yer could get doown layke that..."

PS Googling for the pic for this entry, I can't believe how many scantily clad photos of a cartoon character there are out there. Computer graphics people, go out and get a real flesh date!