Friend of Mine

Ok everyone, I have just finished a day at work at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. I am borderline liking work right now, which is odd for me. I don't know what it is, specifically. I decided that it was late enough for me to cook for myself, which I hate to do because it is quite often depressing. I drank a bottle of wine with dinner, which, I will have to say, was rather good.

I would like to take this time to say thank you to one of my friends whom I have known for quite some time. Her name is Denise. I first saw Denise at the local health club in the town in which I grew up. I didn't really know her, but I sort of knew who she was. Once I began college, I would see her working out at the same time that I would in the campus gym. Every now and then we would talk, since I'm a pretty quiet person by nature. I would have to say this would have to have been around 1995, when I was 17-18 years old.

Denise worked in the mail room where I went to school. Every now and then we would talk or spot one another while working out. I was at the age where people were trying to assert their independence in various ways. Many of the people with whom I attended high school would stick to their same groups of people as they had in high school. I tended to branch out and find new friends, since most of the people from high school thought that I was kind of weird. I will take this moment to say that yes, I'm fucking weird as hell, if weird means being different from a person whose life peaked when they were 18 years old. I am weird if normal means being a pretentious jerk who feels that it's his/her duty to make someone that is different feel small and insignificant. Denise was a very nice person, I would have to say. I got along well with her. She was one of the first people that I met when I started college.

Over the next years, I finished college, had a few adventures in New Orleans and such, went to medical school, moved away for residency, etc. The whole time I could always count on Denise in the sense that I could just pick up the phone and continue where I left off. Really, I could tell her pretty much anything. A very nonjudgemental person she is; everyone should have at least one friend like that.

So now I'm living a good ways away, still determined to further my education because i'm so fucking stubborn (see Nazel Guillory, PsyD). I seem to have to be the best that I can be. I know, however, that I can always count on friends like Denise. I have several friends just like her, but I have known her the longest, and I do feel that she is the definition of a good friend. I am honored to have her as one of my friends.

Well, Denise. I know you're going to read this. Hopefully you consider me the same way that I consider you. It's been a great 12 (is it 12 fucking years already????). I'm sure that we'll have more time to talk in the future. I think the wine's kicking in, so I'm going to have to go and get ready for bed. You know what Alvin L. Shaw would say....."Early, early". I'll leave it at that.

This really applies to all of my friends as well, and I will get to you in time. Just realize that I have known Denise for 12 years now. Friends like that are worth more than anything--anything. Because all the money and power and (insert whatever you like) can't and won't be there for you when you need to talk. And they don't have the capacity to feel or to love, or anything of that nature.

So, I'll end this blog now. May everyone appreciate those close to them. Life is short, and you need to make the best of it while you can. Start early, early. Friends are worth more than gold.



'Cause I don't have the heart to try
One more false start in life
It's been so hard to get it right
Seems like the moment I catch up
The farther you fly

And I wasted your time, didn't I and
That that's the reason we fight all the time
It's been so long since you've been a friend of mine

"Friend of Mine"
Liz Phair