as long as you don't think about it In your late teens or early twenties it is inevitable that over the holidays you spend time with friends you knew growing up. Once you leave the nest for the first time this becomes just as important a tradition as any for the holiday season. When I left home for my freshman year of college and then subsequently came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks from school it was amazing the fun I seemed to have with the people I knew and had temporarily parted ways with (of course alcohol accompanied much of the experiences, a part of the equation somewhat lacking from our time spent together in high school). Nevertheless as the years have passed...five and counting...those moments dissapear and the only friends I run into over the holidays are those I really seek out. Sure often times others show up or you run into a long forgotten friend at a public location, but the true friends from your hometown are the ones you make a point to try and spend some time with.

As is the case I am sure with many people, too often the conversations dwell on what you had in common or catching up on mutual acquaintances (X+Y=l, X being a marriage, Y being a baby, and l being my lack of interest in any subject concerning the topics). But there are those that you can talk about these things with and not really take them seriously, and then just as easily move on to something else important like ordering another round...and those are your friends.

So tonight I spent some time with some of my closest friends from growing up. It will be the last time I see any of them before leaving for Rhode Island in a few weeks. I did not feel parting ways to be such an event whenever I would leave for wherever I was at college , but maybe because the furthest away I ever got was still within driving distance. Providence is, according to MapQuest, 28+ hours away from here. And I'm perfectly fine with that.

Whenever I go back to where I grew up I feel like the lyrics from that Coldplay song High Speed: "We've been living life inside a bubble" and Providence seems like maybe I can finally get out of the bubble unlike I have been able to do so yet in life. Even when I left, I was always back in a few weeks.
But these days I could not live without Rob or Chris; they keep me sane in ways that could never know. So it was best that tonight was treated just like any night; hanging out, having a beer, and not thinking about much. And when we left, we just left. No big goodbyes, nothing but a few serious words of parting and then just getting into our cars and driving away, towards wherever we stay these days. The whole lot, Casey now included through her marriage to Rob, Levy always the truest of friends, Chad and Cater always reliable for laughs and wisdom. And what does next year have in store for us? Rob and Casey are moving out to Monterey; Seaberg will finish grad school and head out there...somewhere. So it's time for me to move on too. I am a little behind most people my age in life by a few years. It takes me awhile to realize or accomplish certain things that many people my age already have completed and moved on from. No examples tonight, just trust me. It's true.

My random playlist tonight on the MP3 player included some of the following songs: Straight, No Chaser by Miles Davis; All the Right Friends by REM; Lord Byron's Luggage by Warren Zevon; Backsliders Wine by Jerry Jeff Walker; Smoke by Ben Folds Five; In My Life by The Beatles; and After the Thrill is Gone by The Eagles. I couldn't have asked for more topical songs tonight. All completely random...and yet not so much.  ¶ 12/27/2005 01:09:00 AM