Espresso Rendezvous Part Deux

1 April

“Bonjour!”

“Bonjour! Comment ca va?” I ask.

“Ca va bien. Et tu?”

A long embrace is in order on two accounts. First, I’m having a crap day, and second, my good friend is recovering from his ninth cancer surgery.

Six weeks ago, I reconnected with my friend Thierry at a cafe in downtown Falls Church. A writer by trade, musician at heart, Thierry was born and raised in Paris. His parents were part of the Free French during World War II and several of his relatives were well-known musicians in Europe. As a young child, Thierry wanted to be a writer. He has made it his life’s work. “Writers are going to save the world,” he says. I believe him.

Thierry offered to become my writing coach after reading my blog in February. “You’re a good writer,” he told me. “And I don’t give out compliments often,” he noted. I was speechless and accepted his offer. His one stipulation was that I spend at least ten minutes every day writing. So I do. Since then he has become one of my closest confidants. We spend hours upon hours talking, writing, and swapping crazy stories (his are a hell of a lot funnier and more colorful than mine). We spend even more time laughing. He loves hearing about my pet peeves, like how entire families going to the grocery store together as if they are on some sort of pilgrimage drives me nuts, and I love hearing about the pranks he used to pull, like the time he fed his parents marijuana laced turkey at Thanksgiving. It’s rare to find someone I can spend so much time with; most people have an expiration of ten minutes, an hour, maybe two at the most. Not Thierry. An entire day can come and go and I won't get annoyed by anything he says or does. We are kindred spirits. I even like his French speaking cat, Junkie.

Earlier this week, Thierry was featured in the Washington Post for his involvement with Cancer Can Rock. He doesn’t talk about his cancer much, but when he does he’s rather matter of fact; no drama, no martyrdom. He just keeps it real and moves in a positive, forward direction. I like that about him.

More than a writing coach, mentor, and friend, Thierry has become a vital part of my Camino. He has given me the confidence, trust, and support I have needed to write. He also entrusts me to read, review, and edit his work, including his blog, Epiphanettes, and his latest novel, Thirst. We've even started writing a fiction piece together, a foray for both of us. It's been more fun than work.

I’m lucky he's chosen to share his wisdom with me but of course, he won't see it this way. He'll blush when he reads this and say he’s embarrassed.  But I want to give him the other three minutes of fame he rightly deserves in case the first Twelve Minutes weren’t enough.  Not to mention I owe him after his blog on New Writers. And writers are, after all, the biggest of egomaniacs so he’ll get over the embarrassment quickly and forgive me in short order. Won't you Thierry?

Merci!