for the cap'n

i'm not rachel . . . so i can't talk to you about my wedding.
i'm not katie . . . so i won't be able to share any exciting pics from new years (and let's be honest . . . if i had any, they would be me + my bed + the princess diaries 2 + anything else boring you can think of)
i'm not jensue . . . so no crazy story about a friend getting pregnant (jen, let's talk soon, i want to hear how that all went)
i'm not hans . . . obviously, or i wouldn't be writing this.

so what do i have to offer? yes, you guessed it. its rather obvious.

garrett.

long long long long ago . . . garrett and i made a pact. he would write an outrageously funny post about his role in proof and in return, i would write a post about our friendship. garrett kept his end of the bargain immediately, and months later, i have yet to finish my portion. since the new year should begin with all promises being kept, here it is. my tribute to garrett. enjoy. =)

"When friends stop being frank and useful to each other, the whole world loses some of its radiance." - Anatole Broyard

i called him at his home before he even knew my name. it was the summer before my sophomore year and there had been a crazy mix-up; as a result, i wasn't going to be able to direct a one-act that fall. i was desperate and i did the only thing i could think of: i stalked garrett nichols. i knew who he was (freshman can always recognize a notable upperclassman) and he knew me as the crazy girl who kept calling his house. much to his chagrin, my plan worked.

when we got to school he made all the directors do this crazy "trust fall" followed by some sort of weird kissing trust practice thing. i assumed he was a little mentally unstable, but i certainly wasn't going to say anything. i was just so thankful i was allowed to direct.

from then on, garrett floated in and out of my life. i got to know him more through his infamous proof cameo (which certainly deserved a never received TAP award). then came the moment that would change our friendship forever. mrs. craig gave me the task of serving as garrett's stage manager for museum. i said yes, mostly out of fear, but it turned into a wonderful experience. despite his seniority, he never seemed to have a crazy ego trip. he was very open to my suggestions, and was quick to ask my opinion.

then in the winter we switched roles. he became my SM during brief lives. oh the wonder that was that show. most of the rehearsals involved brendan trying to learn his lines while garrett and i would pass notes back and forth. in those notes i found out that trey was going to ask me to the gala, who garrett liked, and what time we'd be going to dinner. very exciting stuff. but it cemented our friendship. we started hanging out after rehearsals, intervising on the weekends, ya know, the basic gcc stuff.

he filled a very needed void in my life: a big brother. and i love him for that. garrett believes in me and i believe in him. when you're a very insignificant sophomore in a theatre program, its easy to feel unwanted and unnecessary. garrett made me feel important and talented. he was my first real theatre friend outside of the proof cast. he was the only guy friend i had with enough courage to tell me that the boy i was hopelessly in love with was never going to feel the same way about me. at the time, i was infuriated with him. only looking back do i see how instrumental that was in my life.

during his last few weeks at gcc, we shared what is, in my opinion, our most special time of all. garrett conived (oops, convinced . . . well, either one really) me into casting him and phil into two FEMALE roles. it was sheer brilliance. the play was nothing special, but garrett and phil made it hysterically funny and unforgettable. as a director's gift, they took me out on a very special date to the waterfront. that night is probably one of my top 5 favorite memories at gcc. dinner and shopping with two of my favorite boys.

a few months ago, garrett left pittsburgh and headed back to idaho. my hope is that he'll come out to nyc to visit . . . he is holding on to a crazy dream that i'll come see him in idaho (garrett, its never going to happen. sorry). but life is crazy and you never know what direction it will take you. sometimes i really wonder if i'll ever see him again.

you meet a lot of people in your life and very few leave any sort of lasting mark. garrett is part of the minority. without him, my sophomore year would have been dull indeed. and its ironic, because as a freshman, he didn't cast me in his one-act. i love to tease him about that, claiming that he is one of the reasons i didn't want to stay in gcc theatre.

but truly, its the exact opposite. garrett is one of the reasons i knew i should stay. after all, he's the only one who calls me "meryl" and means it.

garrett, be safe in idaho. have fun doing a job you actually care about. know that you are gone, but not forgotten.