Friends
DO YOU GUYS mind if I skip funny this issue? I'll be funny again, I promise. It's just that this Saturday night I don't really feel like laughing. See, I was supposed to go out tonight. My birthday just passed and a group of my closest friends had planned to drag me out for an evening of dinner and drinks (an unnecessary but considerate gesture to help a man well on his way to 40 remember that life is always made better by the good company he keeps). Leading the pack, as he usually does, was one of my best friends from college. Always the life of the party, he's a successful businessman, a loving husband and father - and suddenly, a man fighting for his life.
He had an accident. A bad accident. On his way home to his wife and two young sons, my buddy hit a patch of black ice, then a guardrail, and finally a large metal pole. In an instant, his kind birthday gesture and our collective Saturday night became utterly insignificant.
As spread-the-word phone calls are made and received, and rational thought is replaced by sudden moments of panic, I find myself recalling our many nights out together, and how badly I could use just one more beer with my friend. I think we often take for granted our happier times, innocently assuming we'll have the people in our lives for as long as we want them. Over the years, I've spent quite a few Saturday nights chasing fun with him. But only occasionally did I take the time to truly appreciate that, at that moment, we had things pretty damn good.
Beyond being a good drinking buddy, this guy is also a peer. We work in similar industries and often look to each other for advice. Mixed in among the many ridiculous lessons we've learned together, he's taught me two things about my career that will likely always remain true: 1) Success is achieved though good relationships; and 2) Don't forget to have some fun. I do my best to remember these lessons each and every time I sit down to write this column.
So how is my friend doing? I held off writing this paragraph for as long as possible because I wanted to be able to share some good news. Now I'm more than happy to report that he's going to make it. He has some serious healing to do and a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he's perfectly suited to make this trip. Why? He has great people around him and a strong desire to once again have a good time.
Thanks for letting me skip funny this issue. Just like my friend, I'll do my best to get back to having fun. Because when it comes down to it, having fun is what helps us get through the times that just aren't. @
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