Marnie is charmed. She experiences a life the 99% could only hope to know and the 1% wouldn’t know what to do with. Marnie lives outside the norm, floating around the world, perfecting her crafts, drawing people to her and enriching the lives of those around her. She is a gypsy, a bohemian, a not for want vagabond.

Marnie is also cursed. She was born with a heart so big and open it often lets her down. It literally stops working. As checks and balances go she’d probably trade it in for normal heart with a normal life, but maybe not.

This week’s ebb and flow brought Marnie back to Toronto where we first met almost three years ago. She was new in town and we made fast friends, then she was gone. This night, in from LA with no winter clothes to speak of, she met me at the cool bar de jour for a much needed catch up. Everything she told me was exciting and my envy battled my admiration. But it’s hard not to get caught up in her future prospects. Thrills by proximity. Marnie’s been making a long overdue record which I can not wait to hear. Her voice has a vulnerability that reminds me of a young sad Dolly Parton. We sang a Stevie Nicks song together once for a room full of people and I don’t know how it sounded but it just felt so good. It’s the power of Marnie.

Over our drink we gave each other optimistic advise on our universal problems, compared the progress of our hair growth/cuts, caught up on the LA/TO gossip and discovered a new beer which I for one will be having more of (it tastes like coffee). Our good time made me realize I really missed her and her troubled, beautiful heart.