Who is Cobie?

I met Cobie in the parking lot of my high school two weeks before the start of junior year. We were lining up for practice at band camp. That's right I said band camp...wanna make something of it. He was different that all my other friends who were primarily the straight A student council types. It's not that Cobie and I aren't smart. We are we just aren't "traditionally acedemically gifted."

Sometimes because I'm all too self reflective I wonder how things in my life my have been different if he had never come into my life. Before him I was completely and discustingly sheltered. I didn't know gay people, I didn't know the joys of smoking and I would never consider crossing from the suburbs into the dangerous city of Chicago where my parents would have me belive I would be shot on sight. In many late night walks through boys town and surrounding neighborhoods I came to see how my life might be different than the life my parents planned for me. I saw the worlds as bigger and different. I now can see all the possibilies for my future and that I can do anything I dream up, and I learned that from him.

He's different from any person I've met before or met since. He's completely unapoligetic about the way he lives his life. He does what he wants to do and is utterly authentic. He is there to listen whenever I'm going through whatever it is I'm going through and will ocassionally kick my ass out of self loathing mode when it needs to be done. He is always thinking of the future, his next degree, his next work venture. I'm a bit convinced that somehow he will take over the world and become extreemly wealthy. I'm hoping to stay on his good side so he will take me on all expenses paid vacations with him.

Since moving to the less than exciting tundra of minnesota 10 years I don't get to see him as much as I want but with every mini-vay that we meet things pick up right where they left off.

The contrast of Annabelle and Cobie

• He likes cats
• He likes camping
• He does lots of computer stuff and sometimes he talks about it and my eyes glaze over in ineptitude
• He listens to some really wierd music...even for me
• Sometimes I worry he will become a hippy and run away to join a comune...but then I remember that he wouldnt be able to live without his powerbook, ikea furiture and over priced Irish butter.