In the company of men

The beer bottle was cold in my fist.
(I opted for the Moosehead, instead of the Corona Light.)
“I know you’ve probably got a cool opener,” my buddy said, “But listen to this.”
And he popped his Moosehead to the sounds of Homer Simpson drooling.
We settled into deck chairs near the pool, with a crackling fire in the fire pit.
And he let me talk.
For two hours.
About me.
It was the theme of the day.

An early coffee with a buddy; lunch (Thai) with my best friend.
Hanging with the homies.
And they all let me do all the talking. Without trying to solve one problem. No advice, either – unless I asked for it.

And what I found when I awoke was a clarity. A new purpose and focus. A smile on my face. A relaxed attitude and the feeling that things will be OK. Because of my homies.

Our beers finished and the fire reduced to a few coals, it was time for me to make my exit. Yes, I felt like I overstayed my welcome, and bored him with my tales of woe (or whatever it was).
But the funny thing was that these three guys all had my back. They listened without butting in. They let me figure things out myself, but in the company of men.
It felt good to let someone take the time to care for me.

“You’ll be OK,” my buddy said at the door. “You’re a land-on-your-feet guy. You look great. You’ll be just fine."

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm always happy to hang with you man... You are such a great story teller, whether about yourself or any other subject, that it is a pleasure to just sit and listen.

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