And old friend/assistant of mine reached out today. When we worked together we'd go out to lunch several times a week when neither of us was on the road, but after I left with my disability he moved on to another college in a nearby state. So we remain in touch, but mostly via text.
We probably haven't seen each other in person since, pre-pandemic seems crazy... but that's possible. We used to try to get together 3-4 times a year, but the pandemic changed that for everyone and we never got back in the habit.
Anyway, he has some time off this week and he wanted to drive down for lunch tomorrow, which is great.
My wife was slightly concerned... only because, he is A LOT.
Hmmmm. He is really hard to describe without making him seem like a caricature... which he isn't. People who only know him a bit sometimes make fun of him, but people who work closely with him really appreciate what a unique person he is.
To list his quirks would... let's just say, he's quirky. But it there's an overall big-picture way to describe him it would probably be "child-like"? He's smart, funny, personable... all those things. He's not naive, he just... uh...
For example, he loves all things Disney. He's going back next month again, for maybe the 50-60th time in his life. And the trip is him, his older sister and his mom. He is mid-40's.
He loves movies, and we talk about them often... but I know exactly which movies he will and will not like. If there's any sex in them, no bueno... even too much swearing toes a line... and as far as we know he has never dated anyone, nor had any interest in doing so.
But he drinks at parties, is a lot of fun, all that. And he can be LOUD. Many is the time at our lunches (BEFORE I suffered from migraines!) when I'd have to put my two hands out across the table, palms down, and make a gentle up and down motion so as to say "lower the volume".. He just never notices. So now in my migraine world, he often lights my fuse pretty fast.
All that being said, I'm looking forward to seeing him, of course.
If you're still reading (sorry!) the reason I write all this is I hadn't thought too much about what "bucket" I would put him when it comes to telling him my news. But I realize now that this is someone that certainly might really struggle with it. I would not in the slightest take it personally if he did, but I also feel like when I'm making a list of the versions of letters I need, he will need his own, individual letter.
That one is going to be a real head scratcher.
But for now, I'm awfully glad we get a lunch tomorrow. If it's the last one we get, it's nice that I'll be able to appreciate it.
Love,
Allie
P.S. I have a MILLION stories about this friend, but indulge me this, my favorite. I probably put more time and effort into his Christmas and birthday presents every year than I did for anyone else in my life back when we were exchanging (and I love buying gifts - so that's saying something), because he SO appreciated everything.
And movie fan that he is, with Die Hard being his favorite movie, I was particularly happy that one Christmas I got him a screen-accurate John McClane NYC Driver's License. He loved it! I mean, really loved it! More, apparently than I knew.
Fast forward to the summer after that. He came into the office late one morning, white as a ghost. He was on his way to work and he had inadvertently run a red light. Which really shook him up. He was NOT the rule breaking type. Worse yet, he did it with a cop who happened to be on a nearby side street witnessing it, and he got pulled over and got a ticket.
But the coup de grace? When the cop said "License and registration" -- he was flustered, having never had to do it before and reached into his wallet where, apparently, he had put my gift next to his actual license. Guess which one he handed the cop? Without realizing it?
"The cop just looked at me, handed it back and said 'yippie-kay-ay-mother-f*cker'" he said, as an entire staff of people cried laughing uncontrollably for like 15 minutes.
