Always Say Yes to Crazy!

Eee! I am just grinning ear to ear. I had a good, long conversation this afternoon with one of my all-time favorite people. This guy is The Funnest Person I Know. And probably will ever know because I can't see how anyone could top him. Fun is literally his name.

He's goofy and wild and always up for anything. I love people that are always up for anything! He said today, "The way I see it - you have to gamble to win" - and for him, I think this means, "You always have to say yes to crazy to have fun." Though he's usually the one with the crazy idea you just have to say yes to.

We're college pals, and after graduation, he moved to Buenos Aires, then to Guadalajahara, next to the Virgin Islands, after that South Dakota (not as exotic but definitely different) and most recently spent a year in Beijing. Now he's moving just 4 hours from me to go to law school. Yay! I see a lot of fun in my future.

We stay in touch by email and phone and occasionally get to hang out. It's amazing we're still close despite the lengths of time we've lived on separate continents, but we both always make the effort. Now that he's going to be closer, I can't wait for old times to be here again! Every time I'm with an old friend, it's as though we've never been apart - the friendship just picks back up and doesn't skip a beat.

Talking to him today just warmed my heart. Do you know what I mean when I say that? Warmed my heart? I mean if my heart had a living room, there'd be a big fire and my heart would be toasty happy all curled up next to it. There's a magical thing about old friends, isn't there?

Now before you say it, no we never dated and no we never will. He's a wild horse that can't be tamed, and our friendship is too good to shake up. He actually told me years ago that I'm the Free Fallin' girl. He said I'm a girl that a guy knows he has to commit to, but also knows he can't until he's the best he can be so he runs for the hills. I think that was his way of telling me why we never dated, but there are a few other good reasons for that. Believe me, I've heard enough lines in my life to recognize when I'm hearing one. Actually, I think that I'm the Free Fallin' girl because I'm never afraid to jump and always enjoy a good free fall. So does he, and that's probably why we get along so well. We're kindred spirits.

We've had a lot of fun together. I remember one day, he biked 15 miles to my apartment just for a lemonade. He went to the Cornbread Festival where my pal got himself in the local paper after placing 1st in the Cornbread Race and 2nd in the Cornbread Eating Contest. We spent more than a few late nights with Mario Cart, and he was my date to every sorority party, where I think he even spiked the punch. He had this hilarious old man Buick (I think he bought it for $500) that had the ceiling lining completely gone so one of his friends carved a giant penis in the foam. We always have the best talks. I think it's a rare and beautiful thing to have a real conversation with someone. Usually, it's all fluff and no soul.

Today, he said he thought of me in China and had a story no one would appreciate like I would. My interest was peaked.

While he was in Beijing, he made friends with three German guys. They'd been going out to bars and just talking, but one night decided they wanted to do something. I guess they don't play darts or pool in Beijing because my pal brought Monopoly to the bar. German Monopoly no less.

He makes friends with everyone, as do I, and I think that's really where fun can happen. When you talk to strangers. He got the whole Chinese crowd into the game. They had to teach them of course, but once they did, people ooo-ed when someone landed on Park Place and laughed when the top hat went to jail. They were picking sides, cheering and shouting, arms waving frantically. He also said they taught the Chinese how to pronounce all the words and that they would say "Monopory." Aw. Apparently, as it was German Monopoly, all the road names were in German, and his impression of a Chinese man trying to pronounce a German word...well, just try to hear it in your head.

Finally, he told me that he just knew I would have had a real blast with that and all the absurd, goofy laughter of their Chinese Monopoly fans. I agreed that absurd, goofy laughter was right up my alley.

There is absolutely nothing better in life than old friends and laughter. He challenged me to a Monopoly game when he visits me in Atlanta, and though I'm sure I'll lose, I know there'll be a lot of absurd, goofy laughter and making friends with strangers.