Hope You Have Good Gas Mileage

I've developed a nasty sleeping habit. I'll lay down and listen to music (Pearl Jam lately) and do my little concert thing in my head. After a while I start to feel my mind wander aimlessly from singing, to tacos, to William Shatner, and wherever else it goes. This a sign that I'm prime for sleep, so I turn off the music and let the silence take me. At least that's how it used to go. Now when I turn off the music, my mind becomes coherent again and I think about stuff that makes me wake up more. On the verge of sleep, then wide awake ten minutes later. It's quite aggravating.

On to my intended topic.

As some of the observant may know (I like assuming that more than two people actually read this), my best friend, Hearshot, is coming up from Texas to visit. Oregon is a full four inches away from Texas on my globe, so it's way far away. It is a 40 hour drive, and yes, he's driving. He's been driving since yesterday actually, and should get here tomorrow in the late afternoon or evening.

At the risk of sounding too sappy, I must say it's really touching. Having a friend drive a few thousand miles to see you is something I never thought of before, even after years of talking about it, I never thought of it till he actually set off on the trip. When it comes down to it, all we're really going to do is the stuff we'd do any day if we lived near each other, play way too many video games, make jokes, laugh at each other's farts, and generally waste time. Stuff we do every day.

Almost every friend I've had would instantly forget me if I moved a town away. I've had "friends" do everything from fake illness to intentionally get grounded so they would've have to walk down the street. Then Hearshot drives, willingly I may add, across the country.

It's a great feeling to know that I have a great friend, a true friend, that I can be myself around, and that I can lean on when life gets heavy. I try to be the same kind of friend to him, which can be hard, with me living so far away.

Whether they live next door, half a state away, or across the country, don't forget your friends. A true friend is a family member, someone who'll be there for you, and someone you can be there for. With so many inconsistencies and uncertainties in life, a true friend can be one of the few constants. Don't take them for granted.

Hearshot is my brother, we just aren't related.