DITTO

Goodbye old friend….

We have only known each other for close to a year now but I feel like we’ve been friends forever.

You remind me so much of other friends I have had throughout my life….throughout the past.

Most of these old friends could have been twins or quintuplets, they all looked alike…. They all acted a certain way….

I must have a hankering for acquiring pals like you.

We met at one second after midnight.

You had lots of plans and strategies of how we were gonna whoop ‘dis thang!

But, you tended to be a treacherous bastard….although well meaning.

I can’t believe I hung around with you for a year.

Oh well……C’est La Vie!

The way it seems to happen is that I tend to meet these new friends when they are just starting out.

Even though they are a day older than me, they seem naïve in so many ways, like they don’t have any practical life experiences, no clear cut goals for their future.

They’re always a little scatter-brained at first but seem to learn reasonably fast and take things for what they are and do their level best to overcome trials and bumps along the way.

Hell…I can’t fault them for that, I’m the same way.

Some of the friends I had a few years back weren’t anywhere close to being as mature or patient as the new friend that I’m meeting this Thursday seems to be, but they all have the same bright eyed optimism with no back-up plans.

Hell…I can’t fault you too much for that my old friend, I’m the same way.

I had the usual trials with some of my earlier friends and our time together was full of some fun, but with lots of drama and problems caused by being young and unafraid of life or the consequences thereof.

For me, the toughest part of meeting a new friend every year at this time is that I always get forced into making promises and contracts, to an extent, with each one of them….as if though they don’t trust me…..

Hell…I can’t fault them for that, I’m the same way.

It’s as if though January 1^st is the time I take my new friend by the hand, show him the ropes and rules of engagement for dealing with my life, and then turn him loose and wish for the best.

I tell my new friend that I want to stay sober.

I tell my new friend that I don’t want to smoke.

I tell my new friend I want to go on a diet.

I tell my new friend that I want to exercise more.

I tell my friend that I wish for world peace.

And then my new friend jogs to the store in his “Obama Sux” tee shirt, picks up a pack of cigarettes, a case of beer and a pizza.

That’s how all my new friendships seem to start out: Lots of big plans, lots of good intentions, REALLY BIG IDEAS, then…….

Hell…I can’t fault them for that, I’m the same way.

I’m sitting here at the table staring off into space.

This learning to live again is killing me….

I look over at the calendar and see that my new friend should arrive in 3 days, 15 hours, 16 minutes, 58 seconds and counting down.

I must admit that I get excited knowing my friend will be here soon, and we will start off fresh and endeavor to persevere!

I hope this New Years friend has his act together though.

Last year he started out his new tenure with no pants on and a DUI charge.

Hell…I can’t fault him for that, the same thing happened to me.