Old Friends

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During the last few weeks I've received messages from old friends who were once part of my every day life.

We all have friends like that.

People we really, really liked...or loved...who by circumstance fell out of our lives.

Perhaps we switched jobs.

Maybe we got married and those friends just sort of drifted to the background.

Whatever the reason...they aren't around anymore...but they pop back in.

I have a buddy who was a huge fan of The Who. Every single time I hear a Who song I think of him. Sometimes I'll just send the name of the song to him in a text:

Another Tricky Day

And he'll answer:

We should get together!

And you might want to, but you won't.

Yet you have the memories.

I saw another guy at a party this past weekend. When we were kids we used to grab a case of beer and ride around listening to music.

At the party we were both drinking water.

"Hey, I read your last book," he said. "Couldn't believe I was picking it up and actually enjoying it because you were always such a dumb-ass."

We laughed.

We shook hands 'hello' and 'good-bye'.

As I drove home I thought of some of those goofy nights as we blasted Triumph or Boston or Van Halen.

"Everything good," he asked.

"Yeah. Sucks to get old, but it's good."

"See ya'," he said.

Yeah...further on down the road.

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