…three beautiful charming cunts of windsor…i got friends in low places…

“we are the cunts of the roots of the highest order!”

Instructions for reading:

call your friend, facetime, get a drink, turn on the music and share few minutes…

Macallan 12
Fish and chips (from the chippy)
No FOX News
I got friends in low places - Garth Brooks

Southwest Moon - Emma

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Scene and the location of the crime: The Ivy, Windsor, UK!

not a fish and chips place, but sometimes you will find cunts of the highest order…

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I wanted fish and chips, and for that you go to a chippy, you foreign idiot!

One more stop before going home. It was a nice break. Windsor has The Long Walk that stretches from the castle way out to the edges of Bishop’s Gate. The copper horse at the end of the walk is like a mini challenge—touch it and go back. It is one of the most beautiful walks in the world, and I have seen a few. The next morning I intended to do that walk, before my flight home.

the long walk

Accidentally seated next to these three ladies, Kat told me that the cunt at the end of the bar, next to them, is a conservative Canadian cunt who has been making political statements and continuing to be annoying. It was her friend Danielle’s birthday. They seemed like really close, fun friends. Reminded me of home! I miss my friends for most of my lifetime. We have been scattered all over the world. Some are gone, forever; some are here, but we see each other rarely. We live on all continents.

Not even sure how, but we talked about immigrants, Brexit, Trump, family, the pandemic. Kat said that only these two cunts were the only cunts who called her regularly at that time. You could hear affection for them—love that is a result of real, lasting friendship. The word cunt used so appropriately! Affectionately, for dear friends. I would never dare! They knew each other well, they had each other’s backs, they let me in for a little while because they see good in everything. Aside from our jokes and stupid songs and a Garth Brooks dance…it felt very familiar, like my old friends. We met for the first time, but it was easy! Just a decent, fun human connection.

All three of them had that warm, human, timeless goodness in them. Really, so comforting to see in this world today. Especially when one travels, when you sit alone at the bar, no one to talk to—just you, whiskey, average meal, and a waiter. I don’t mind being alone, I don’t actively look for forced conversations, but this was a surprise to me. Not sure why. There are a lot of good, smart, decent, friendly people out there. They just made an extra effort to be friendly. Maybe we all had a few drinks and that helped. And then they also explained to me the term cunt. It is used in a very British way, in this case endearingly—but it can be used other ways as well. So much versatility with that word. We use that word in a derogatory way, but they typed their contact info for me along with the word cunt and the rest of the description. Laughing! And they also laughed in this very jovial, honest, real, warm, disarming way.

we prefer less serious matters…

And maybe above all, I realized at that moment—again, like in so many other places—how similar we all are. My friends back home, wherever that is, do the same thing. I go to South Africa and watch people do the same thing: connect, laugh, share, help each other. In Bosnia. In the US. In Istanbul. Mexico…

Kat told me about buying her first house—such a brave and ballsy move for a young girl—and she did it on her own. (My wife did the same thing, very young, alone, and in another country, so I understood this.) It is not hard to recognize bravery and street smarts. Listening to Kat, I thought of my daughter. At that moment, I loved my daughter even more. I knew that she has that kind of grit and courage.

Danielle was celebrating, happy to be with her friends! That’s all she needed .to be happy !

Rachel worked with the NHS, I hope I remember accurately. She mentioned that she has many stories, because I mentioned that I am interested in writing about people, travel. You can sense genuine compassion in her words. Result of many heartbreaks she probably has seen—tremendous struggle, human tragedies, life stories that do not end with roses and chocolates. You can hear, even while laughing silly about something we mentioned, that she is serious about people she helps. I have met people like her before. They are selfless, generous, self-sacrificing, and quietly support this world, going through life sometimes never mentioning their own struggles.

This kind of chance meeting happens. I had just come back from Istanbul and had met several great, fun, interesting people on my trip. At the same time, I have been writing about my hometown, people we knew our whole lifetime. Ordinary connections, some not really even deep or promising. But it seems that we don’t need too much to be happy, just few kind words. Laughter, for sure! some music, easy banter, honest kind intention. That’s all. Joyful chaos!

Deer park…

People connect everywhere. I think it’s become harder than ever. Cynicism, social networks, the pandemic, political crap that has spilled all over the world have poisoned sincerity, spontaneity, and simplicity of approaching another human being. I have been conditioning myself to be happier, more dismissive of today’s sub-culture of fearful commenting on current events, cynicism, pessimistic future outlook. We have limited time here, or anywhere.

We laughed that evening, because it was just pure fun. I had my dinner. They stayed a while and left. But it left an impression—created another hopeful story. My little story is very ordinary about extraordinary people. I also never imagined writing for British cunts, in their language. It seems that we understand each other well! It has nothing to do with language.

On the way out, I was looking for a chippy! Alice, Daisy, Josie and Hattie gave me some directions and asked about my visit. We had a brief encounter, they signed up for reading my story. Daisy: continue to love life, with your friends! Hattie, you are awesome too! I hope that four of you would continue your friendship like Kat, Danielle and Rachel! Long, honest, smart, deeply respectful and never-ending. It’s worth every effort. It is something that remains when all else is gone. It is something that needs to be cared for, needs patience and strength of character. I am sure that all of you will be in many future stories, mine or someone else’s. With amazing, interesting lives full of trips, connections, experiences.

The walk next morning was amazingly peaceful. Hardly anyone out there. A group of tourists, with a guide, were getting scammed into eating breakfast in a small place. I knew the inside stuff, but I wasn’t going to tell them. Now, I claim Windsor as one of the places I belong to.! Is this proper English, oh for fuck’s sake who cares?!

P.S. did not find a chippy later, I was still hungry after that sea bass, which was enough to feed a bird! Found Castle Kebab, great wrap, (messy ordeal, forgot napkins). I ate walking towards Eaton college, across the bridge, no one in the street! Like a real local, cunt! I owned the bridge, Windsor was mine, for 12 minutes…

not a chippy…my food being prepared…delicious and messy…Castle Kabob!