Ok, it's not really a crisis. It's actually good news. But my friend J has gotten a new job. One that will take him out of the stuffy gossipy cramped cubicles of our world, loosen the stranglehold on his budget, give him a chance to work with old friends and inspiring colleagues and managers, and add to his resume. Sucks, right? I hate it.
Because he is the bright light in our cubicle hell. He stops by for impromptu conversations on shoes, world travel, homelessness, Big Brothers, food (and food, and food), movies, books, music, politics, Japan, Haiti, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
He feeds me amazing things I would never have tried - chickpea salad anyone? Spaghetti squash - YUM. He makes The Best Oatmeal Cookies In The World. Not to mention, he joins the annual cookie exchange every year at my insistence, simply so that I can root through all the boring offerings, to get to his butterscotch peanut butter marshmellow squares.
He downloads movies, music, and funny SNL skits onto my computer, to save me from the tedium of pounding out data all day long. He makes Real Tea, and listens to me kvetch about everything and anything that annoys me. On a daily basis, people - do you realize how selfless this is??
He introduced Dress Up Day, and gets all the normally boring people to come to work as cowboys, circus workers, Dr. Suess characters, and Superheroes. ( I was Shoe Girl).
He gives the much needed, seldom found man's point of view on everything: kids, one-night stands, jealousy, oxford shoes. He actually answers yes if asked "Does this make me look fat?" He's also no slouch to look at, with a killer head of curls, and a slightly hippy earth child, slightly careless prepster casualness.
He was the main reason my wedding went off without a hitch, including dressing up my dog, providing the best photographers I could ask for, and missing the reception to speed back to his house (an hour, each way) for a copy of the video of my uncle that was to play after the meal (to replace the original that I had lost). Did I mention he made the video for me, complete with soundtrack?
Ok, looking over this, it would seem that the friendship was decidedly one-sided, and I'm sure you're thinking, "Boy, he'll be glad to get that needy thing off his back." But I contributed. I'm sure I did. I was a good listener.....I bought him a primary reader of Yiddish....I, um, well...I'm sure I did stuff for him too. I basically forced him to read A Prayer For Owen Meany. Some day he'll thank me for that. I managed to find maybe one or two movies he hadn't seen, and recommend them to him.
Hell. Maybe it was one-sided, but that doesn't lessen my appreciation of the friendship, and maybe provides enlightenment on why this IS such a crisis, at least from my point of view. I'm dependent, you see.
And so now, as my contribution to the friendship, I will swallow my panic, and say wholeheartedly, CONGRATULATIONS JASON - YOU DESERVE IT!!! (and come visit me often.)
Love, Tracy.
