Let's Share A Story!

I spent this past weekend with four of my friends from my childhood though high school. We, for the most part, all went to school together (and were in classes together), were all in band together, all went through boy scouts together, and helped each other with whatever crazy idea was on the table at the time (building a hovercraft was one of my favorites).

I think it was the first time we had all been together in the past 4 or 5 years since high school. I have seen two of them frequently throughout the past several years, but had only communicated with the other two over long distances.

We all met in Beaumont, TX, which was about a 4-5 hour drive for me. On the way back, I had plenty of time to think about the weekend and the fun we had. As I drove further away from them and closer to home, my tired muscles and sleepy eyes were calling me to immediate reminiscence of all the fun we packed into two days together. We did a lot – playing games, swimming in the gulf, catching up with each other and telling each other what we have been up to through college.

While watching piney woods transform into open fields, I recalled the countless stories we have shared throughout our lives, including the new ones we just wrote this weekend.

My thoughts then turned to the future and the fact that this may have been the last time I saw all those guys for another four years. Those thoughts went a little something like this.

But then I thought about those stories. Not individually, but rather as a whole. And I thought about that huge four year gap in our shared stories. It is in no way a bad thing, but it made me wonder.

We are of course all facebook friends. And I have kept up with each of the other four through facebook pretty well (excluding one guy who has a profile but never uses it...who does that anymore?). Everyone knows that online networking is in no way a replacement for face to face human interaction, but I finally realized to the full extent why it could never be.

I can share my stories on facebook, or here, and I can read or hear stories shared with me by friends online in some form. But there is a huge difference between sharing stories and sharing life. As great as the internet is, I can never share life with anyone on it. I can talk to and see friends through modern technology and to an extent interact with them, but I can never truly share life in the way I did this weekend as I ate with, swam with, laughed with, and went to sleep and woke up with friends (I will avoid the phrase slept with although we did all crash in the same room).

As great as it is, I don't think the new iphone can even truly enable a sharing of life.

I realize that I can't share life with everyone all the time, but when given the option I would much rather share life with someone than merely share stories. Besides, while sharing life you make stories, and as fun as sharing stories is, making them is infinitely better.

Good bye

Saying 'bye' has many variations:

There's the jaded, I'm better off without you, break-up, Kristinia DeBarge goodbye.

The longing, nostalgic, hopefully romantic, Miley Cyrus goodbye.

The respectful (albeit somewhat proud), remembering losing a loved one, Mariah Carey bye bye.

And, of course, the overwhelming, spilling your emotional guts, 'surely this isn't really bye' goodbye.

And still I'm left to wonder, is there a difference between 'bye' and 'goodbye'?

I will be moving to a new state in about two months. I will be leaving almost all of my close friends. I have known that I will have to say goodbye at some point, but in my mind, I have been putting it off until the day before I leave. And since I don't know exactly when I will be leaving, the goodbyes are just as indefinite.

But, reality hit this past weekend and I had to say bye to a close friend. It was awkward and not easy. Thankfully in these cases I am not very emotional – even robotic (not something I am necessarily proud of, though). As I left, my roboticness kicked in, but soon after, another emotion crept through me saturating my dry, emotionless soul.

Not sadness, though. Not that painful heart-ripping feeling.

As I walked on and got back to my room, I thought about some of my other friends. It seems everyone is going somewhere different. Japan for a year. Alaska for a job. Ecuador for a year. Other friends will be staying in Dallas, and I may not see them for the same amount of time as my friends who are going overseas.

I thought about all this and treasured it in my heart. That emotion that started creeping in grew in intensity and soon I was able to identify it. Joy. I am overjoyed for all my friends and the wonderful things they are doing. I haven't felt this way through any other major life transition up to this point (granted I haven't had many of those), but it was truly refreshing.

It was very much a good bye.

And I hope yours and the rest of mine are similar.

The Bean Parade

Here is a vision I had last July, inspired by a visit to the Starbucks in the Heathrow Airport.  Enjoy!

The last cup was poured -

Fluorescent lights flickered off.

The manager locked fast the door

And headed towards his loft.

But little did he know

That just inside his store,

One little coffee bean brightly glowed

Then more, and more, and more.

Out of the darkness of the room

The beans gathered together.

Took a glance at good friend Broom,

And promised no mess, no splatter…

Soon the beans were dancing,

But what else do they do?

Overflowing joy so entrancing;

Their fancy moves vibrate through

To all the silent, still cups

So lifeless in their form.

Even Styrofoam and plastic jump

To the beans’ frenzied storm.

“What new life is this we’ve found?”

Shouted one mug to another.

“My stiff feet can leave the ground

My now jovial, good brother!”

The tea bags soon looked in-

So proper and so posh.

“Although we know we can,

This demonstration is – My Gosh!

“We will not stand for this

Frightful fit of undecour!

Our Queen has rules against

Such unruly behaviour.”

But the beans danced wildly forth

Coming quite close to the cream.

The thick, rich, milky force

Let out a stunning scream.

“I was quite comfortable

Here with my solitary reason

Until you came and made unable

This selfish, blissful heaven.

“I’ll never join your dancing,

I’d rather sit and suffer.

I’ve moved far past your silly prancing

To ways much more strict and stiffer.”

“Amen!” the beans replied.

“You have you way and we ours,

But if ever you’d like to try

You know we’ll be around.”

The sweet cake sat posed and still.

With icing of five flavors.

Her prideful, rooted, bashful will

Kept her from mussing her layers.

“It’s just so silly, all your movement,”

She muttered shy and coy.

“I would just die of embarrassment

In joining in your ploy.”

“A fool’s dance this night may be,”

The excited beans shot back,

“If in foolery you humbly see

Just how much self we lack!”

As the beans approached the fruity reel,

The banana timidly said,

“My perfection lies ‘neath this peel.

If I could have just a few moments to shed

“This soiled and dirty, brown and splotched

Forsaken coverin’,

I can join in this scheme you’ve hatched

Showing pure yellow beaut’ within.”

“My fruity friend, we cannot wait!

The dance must go on.

You bear this burden – such heavy weight;

Cast it off! There’re new clothes to don!”

Meanwhile:

The muffin was undressing

To show her rounded top.

Knowing it is a blessing

To be so smoothly cropped.

“Good God!” cried the scones,

Features so angular and calculating.

“That curvy, crafted dome

Of Ms. Muffin is quite teasing.”

So enraptured by the sight,

This party failed to notice

All throughout the night

The beans’ true joy and focus.

So the scones looked lustfully on,

Feeding some external pleasure.

Moving, but some strange false form

That didn’t match the beans’ full measure.

“We can hardly keep contained

Our well placed decorations.

Chocolate chips and blueberry beads leave stains

No matter how perfect their situation.”

The beans danced toward the cold ice box

To catch some relief from the heat.

They found respite on the frozen water rocks,

But could not wake them from their sleep.

They bumped into Mr. Milk –

A whole gallon, galore!

And offered him a few kicks

On their store-wide dance floor.

“Who me?” Milk asked,

Quite surprised by the offer.

“But… I’m always last;

And people typically don’t bother.

“You see, I’m a little heavy.

The whole floor will shake.

I sweat quite profusely;

And when warm, I’m quite rank.”

But the beans, they persisted;

And gave milk a gentle shove.

Although clumsy and jug-twisted,

The dance he did love.

And the beans danced wildly on

Through all hours of the night.

Without tire, without groan –

It was ever such a sight.