Today’s Episode: “Where’s My ‘Melissa’?”
So, recently, I’ve been thinking about friends…You know, what they mean, who they truly are, etc. A lot of us throw around the term “friend”, but is it always accurate? A lot of the time, these people are acquaintances. Or people we wouldn’t mind getting drunk with. But will they really go to bat for you?
Shelly’s got a ton of really great friends. There’s Pete. There’s Leigh. But the one who stands out to me most is Melissa. I can’t even begin to describe this friendship. It’s best friend-meets-sister-meets-possible lover in another life. Sorry, girls š Anyway, one of them is basically the extension the other person. Melissa knows how Shelly’s going to feel and react to everything & vice versa.
Well, watching this friendship, I started thinking about my own life. “Where’s my Melissa?” I wondered. Well, I always kinda joked that there’s no one person in the world who can fill that role, mainly, because no one person “gets” me. Instead, to understand that Essence of Will, it would require a roundtable discussion of several. They each bring something to the table and understand a different facet of me. If you could put them all together, you’d have the full story on me. But instead, you have to track these people down if you want the “real deal”
First, there’s Tarek. Right now, I’d say he’s my Melissa. I have never been through more things with one person. But at the same time, I’ve enjoyed each and every moment of it. And he’s a member of my family. Seriously. Never has anyone done as much for me, or been there for me like Tarek Sultani. Yeah, we’ve been adversaries at times (it was a low ratings period…), we always bounced back better than ever. Plus, have you ever had anyone, just 1 month after getting their license, drive 400 miles, in the snow, just to surprise you on your birthday? There’re are tons of other stories, but those are for another day. I just can’t imagine him not being there…
Next, there’s Brett. Brett and I grew up together and used to indulge in the “play date”. Even when we kinda grew up and it was just about comics and Star Trek, they were still play dates. Love him to death, but I feel our friendship is just really starting. Which is a great thing…don’t get me wrong! It’s just it’s on a whole new level now. Anyway, if you want to understand who I was, he’s the one to tell ya. Even if we don’t speak for 20 yrs, we’d always be able to just start back where we ended.
Then, there’s James. Wow, James Lamb. When I first met him, I KNEW he was bound for greatness. I guess it’s why I hitched my wagon to his. Anyway, I had NO idea he’d be as volatile and controversial as he has shown himself to be. Which is AWESOME. there’s never a dull moment around James. But also, he kinda inspires stuff in me. If you ever wanna know my sometimes deplorable views on politics and the world around us, ask James. You guys get my cynicism, but he gets the real deal, and helps me censor it so it sounds nice on the printed page. I think his dark side inspires mine, so if you’re digging for dirt, and all of the thoughts and I ideas I have, but know I shouldn’t, he’s definitely the guy who’s gonna sell me out! He knows the “uncensored” me.
Then, there’s Lip. I never thought we’d be where we are now. He was always “AJ’s friend”. But over the years, including a summer living together, all of that has changed. WAY too much for me to write, but he’s the one who knows the person I want to be. He knows the somewhat lofty goals, and he’s a good pace car to let me know if I’m on track for said goals. Plus, he’s got a good bullshit detector, and a short temper. He’s a hoot to be around when he’s pissed…
Now, this brings me to the question of “Who knows all of my unspoken stuff?” Rather, who knows what I’m thinking without me having to say it. Who can match me word for word, idea for idea, and I can’t stump? It’s not a game to me. It may sound like it, but it’s more about “who just ‘gets’ me?”
