Generally melancholy...
Just thinking about friends that have left the area. This area, (Buffalo/Niagara), has been economically depressed for 35 years and continues to lose jobs and population every year. I think it is the fastest SHRINKING metro area in the US. Some great friends of mine have had to leave over the years. Pretty much every single friend I went to college with has had to leave the area to get jobs, JR, Savage, Squissy, Elliott, Rusty, the list is endless.
About 5 years ago, my best friend in the World, Sammy Callahan, left to get a job with the CDC in Atlanta. We frequently stayed in touch for the first 2 or 3 years, talking to each other 1 or 2 times a week, almost like a couple. I even traveled down there once or twice a year to hang out with him. I started to have kids, and our talks went down to once every 2 weeks, then once a month, then once every few months. He came back up here for our 25th high school reunion and we had a blast, just like old times. I haven't talked to him since Christmas. I left him a message in March. No return call. That makes me sad.
We've been friends since we were 13. We met in middle school and instantly gravitated towards each other. He was a nerdy kid, with a huge imagination, and was incredibly creative. I was a jock, played all sports, but always did well in school, and as luck would have it we were both in the AP program in our school. We became fast friends as we found our love of the bizarre and weird was the same. Whenever it came to a creative writing assignment, he would always, always blow me away with his writing. His paper would get the highest grade and always get read to the class. Mine would almost always be second and end up on the back wall with all the other losers, heh.
When we got to high school, we probably spent an unhealthy amount of time together, and quickly we were accused of being gay. Well, it bothered neither of us, but every once in awhile, well, somebody got their ass kicked. There were more than a few times I had to defend the kid, (usually from my other jock friends). But that's what friends do. We stayed friends in college and we both went away to Indiana to school. I went to Indiana University, and he went to Purdue University. We were still only 2 hours away from each other and saw each other frequently. We both transferred back to University of Buffalo at the same time, and continued to hang out and just experience life together, all through our 20s, and into our 30s. We did almost every drug imaginable together, (after he researched them thoroughly him being a scientist and all) .
We dated the same women from time to time, (yeah, always after the other had dumped the girl), hung out at the Continental, the only alternative club in Buffalo, turned each other on to different music, and just generally fucked off. He never wanted a family or a wife, (he still has neither), and he always knew I wanted kids, so eventually as things heated up with Wifie and I, Sammy and I drifted apart a little. Still, when he announced he was leaving for Atlanta, it was like somebody shot me. I knew he had to do it professionally, (he had just finished his PhD and there was nothing for him here), and he was doing important work, but it's still hard to see your very best friend leave. Now, it seems we're barely friends.
As the kids get older, I'm going to make more of an effort to keep in touch with him. He's a part of me, and I can't just let somebody like that drift away...
On another note, I've been off chat for 5 days, (anyone notice?) I had to take a break, as I figure I've been spending 30+ hours on chat a week. I was spending way more time on chat then I was working, and that's a curse when you mainly work from home. I will try to limit my time to 1-2 hours a day during the week and very little on the weekend. We'll see. I do miss you everyone. I really do. I think I've made some real connections here. I mean real, real, not just cyber-real.
Just thinking about friends that have left the area. This area, (Buffalo/Niagara), has been economically depressed for 35 years and continues to lose jobs and population every year. I think it is the fastest SHRINKING metro area in the US. Some great friends of mine have had to leave over the years. Pretty much every single friend I went to college with has had to leave the area to get jobs, JR, Savage, Squissy, Elliott, Rusty, the list is endless.
About 5 years ago, my best friend in the World, Sammy Callahan, left to get a job with the CDC in Atlanta. We frequently stayed in touch for the first 2 or 3 years, talking to each other 1 or 2 times a week, almost like a couple. I even traveled down there once or twice a year to hang out with him. I started to have kids, and our talks went down to once every 2 weeks, then once a month, then once every few months. He came back up here for our 25th high school reunion and we had a blast, just like old times. I haven't talked to him since Christmas. I left him a message in March. No return call. That makes me sad.
We've been friends since we were 13. We met in middle school and instantly gravitated towards each other. He was a nerdy kid, with a huge imagination, and was incredibly creative. I was a jock, played all sports, but always did well in school, and as luck would have it we were both in the AP program in our school. We became fast friends as we found our love of the bizarre and weird was the same. Whenever it came to a creative writing assignment, he would always, always blow me away with his writing. His paper would get the highest grade and always get read to the class. Mine would almost always be second and end up on the back wall with all the other losers, heh.
When we got to high school, we probably spent an unhealthy amount of time together, and quickly we were accused of being gay. Well, it bothered neither of us, but every once in awhile, well, somebody got their ass kicked. There were more than a few times I had to defend the kid, (usually from my other jock friends). But that's what friends do. We stayed friends in college and we both went away to Indiana to school. I went to Indiana University, and he went to Purdue University. We were still only 2 hours away from each other and saw each other frequently. We both transferred back to University of Buffalo at the same time, and continued to hang out and just experience life together, all through our 20s, and into our 30s. We did almost every drug imaginable together, (after he researched them thoroughly him being a scientist and all) .
We dated the same women from time to time, (yeah, always after the other had dumped the girl), hung out at the Continental, the only alternative club in Buffalo, turned each other on to different music, and just generally fucked off. He never wanted a family or a wife, (he still has neither), and he always knew I wanted kids, so eventually as things heated up with Wifie and I, Sammy and I drifted apart a little. Still, when he announced he was leaving for Atlanta, it was like somebody shot me. I knew he had to do it professionally, (he had just finished his PhD and there was nothing for him here), and he was doing important work, but it's still hard to see your very best friend leave. Now, it seems we're barely friends.
As the kids get older, I'm going to make more of an effort to keep in touch with him. He's a part of me, and I can't just let somebody like that drift away...
On another note, I've been off chat for 5 days, (anyone notice?) I had to take a break, as I figure I've been spending 30+ hours on chat a week. I was spending way more time on chat then I was working, and that's a curse when you mainly work from home. I will try to limit my time to 1-2 hours a day during the week and very little on the weekend. We'll see. I do miss you everyone. I really do. I think I've made some real connections here. I mean real, real, not just cyber-real.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
lvreaper:
whos snow? im lost man maybe im dense haha.
repo_man:
Snow is the hottest SG on the planet, and may be the hottest women ever. Look her up. My Type with a capital T. Also, is a dead ringer for my ex from forever ago...